All the Same to Me
by BellaSalvatore1918
Summary: During Klaus's time first siring hybrids, one of his conquests was in Portland, where he met a werewolf bartender, Zoey Thomas. When Klaus realized the sire bond was the only thing keeping her with him, he gave up on her and left. Now, they're both in New Orleans, but various obstacles prevent them from being together, including her love/hate relationship with Marcel. K/OC/M
1. Always and Forever

**Hey, everyone! So...YAY! Finally a _The Originals_ story! I have a slight secret obsession with Klaus...I mean, who doesn't, right? I've been sitting on this idea since I went to the set, but I finally got around to making it and actually finishing it. **

**So, yes, there will be a couple flashbacks in this chapter, but not a lot in the upcoming chapters. There's not really a lot of past between the OC (Zoey Thomas) and Klaus, but there is some background there, which is why I have flashbacks in this first chapter - so you're not completely lost. Think of it this way, I could spend an entire ten paragraphs explaining it or I could give flashbacks. ****Personally, I like the flashback option.**

**Anyways, enjoy the chapter. It's a little short, but I was kind of conflicted with which episode to use...you know, the _The Originals _episode in TVD or the actual first episode of TO. I decided upon the name being after the first episode of TO (because, yes, this story will go off the episodes. Trust me, it makes my life a lot easier and it has a very LOW chance of getting booted. I have problems with keeping my own story lines sane, so I end up chucking them sometimes), but the content will mostly lean towards the spinoff episode in TVD. It should be pretty obvious, and I tried to remove any unnecessary scenes regarding Klaus because I figured...you know, we all know what happens. "I AM THE KING!" and all that jazz :) **

**So, yeah, enjoy the chapter. Please review at the end if you can...it would mean the world to me. Oh, and sorry for the late update. I really want to work on some other stories tomorrow if I can, so I wanted to get this story done first and updated before I go to bed. **

**Disclaimer: Only saying this once. I do not own The Originals, anything that has to deal with the characters of the show or the original plotline. I do, however, own my OC characters Zoey Thomas (ironically portrayed by Zoey Deutch :P totally unintentional, but I think that it's actually funny), Savannah Brown (portrayed by Taissa Farmiga, and she will be entering the story as soon as I can fit her in) as well as my writing and whatever plotline I create. **

* * *

**All the Same to Me**

**Always and Forever**

**_Oregon, 2011_**

_Even though the rain poured down heavily from the skies above the booming bar, that was oddly not what brought the customers into the business without question. The truth was, it was the reputation of the bright and beautiful bartender who served the customers that made them float in and out regularly. _

_With light laugh, Zoey Thomas quickly popped open two caps off of the Blue Moon beer bottles as the older man in front of her waited for her input as Al, the slightly older male, talked about how his wife was ignoring him after he shut her down from buying a diamond necklace. _

_"Aw, Al, your wife's not ignoring you, she probably just wants something special for her birthday coming up," Zoey told the regular pointedly as she set the two beers in front of the men. She set to work on the other drinks she needed to complete as she listened to Al. _

_"Jessica's birthday is coming up soon?" _

_"Yes." _

_"When?" _

_"The twentieth." _

_The brunette poured three shots of tequila from the bottle, not pausing between glasses to refrain from spilling the alcohol. As Al spoke again, she pushed the shots to the three women at the edge of the bar who obviously hadn't come to see her bartending skills. Tonight was more of a milder night, but there were nights when she would be working five bottles in one hand. Since she graduated with honors, people wondered why she still stuck around in the town and worked as a bartender while she went to community college. Once she was out, she didn't try for anything but bartending. But it was a choice for her – bartending was fun. Bartending was real. It was a job where you didn't have to work your mind over and over again to get a paycheck with ten figures. Zoey saw no point in wasting her life away sitting behind a desk and not seeing the world for what it was – a bunch of drunks with a bunch of problems._

_"How could you not know your wife's birthday, Al?" Al's friend, Edward, said to him by turning his head. Al shrugged._

_"We've been married for thirty years, how the hell am I supposed to remember all this shit?" he demanded as he pulled the beer to his lips. Zoey shook her head and got to work on another awaiting drink, but her eyes still scanned the room to make sure she was aware of her surroundings. The men smoking by the billiard tables, the women sitting around the booths and sipping their martinis, the couples at the bar having their awkward first dates, and last but not least, the group of bikers walk into the bar and take a seat. _

_And that's when she noticed one man walk into the bar and look around, his eyes scanning the room almost as hers had. And, also like hers, his eyes stopped scanning when he met her own, and he shot her a smile. _

* * *

**_New Orleans, Present Day._**

Elijah Mikaelson watched one of the bartenders, Camille, before him set the alcoholic drink down on the bar on top of a napkin. "So what brings you to the Big Easy?" she asked.

"I used to live here," he answered.

"Really?" Camille challenged. "When?"

"Oh, it feels like a hundred years ago." And, it was, but little did she know that he was a thousand year old vampire with family issues.

"I just moved here myself," she boasted. "What brought you back?"

"Well, my brother's here somewhere. I'm afraid he's got himself into a bit of a bind."

"You say that like it's a common occurrence."

"Well, he's complicated." Like that even began to describe Niklaus Mikaelson. "Defiant, ill-mannered, and…a little…_temperamental_." Elijah brought his drink up to his lips and drank when someone interrupted.

"Well, doesn't this guy sound like a charmer?" Another bartender walked up to the two of them and reached over Camille to grab the bottle of whiskey. "Daddy issues?" the brunette offered as she poured a drink in a medium-sized glass.

Elijah let out a breath. "Well, you see, we don't share the same father, so…on some level, yes," he responded. The two bartenders listened as the one with the whiskey in hand slid the drink down to the customer at the end of the bar, who caught it with ease. "Of course, that fact never bothered me, but my brother resents it deeply. Never felt like he belonged. All told…he has a long history of getting himself into trouble."

"And I'm guessing you have a long history of getting him out of it," Camille said with a sigh. "What kind of bind is your brother in?"

"He believes that there are people in this town conspiring against him," Elijah said simply. The other bartender laughed.

"Conspiracy theorist?" she offered with a snort.

"More like narcissistic and paranoid," Camille corrected. The other bartender rolled her eyes as Elijah crossed his hands over one another, looking offended.

"Excuse my cousin, here, she can't seem to leave her graduate degree at _home_ for one night," the bartender shot towards Camille behind the counter.

Elijah looked back and forth between the two girls. "Cousins?" he asked. Both of them nodded their heads. "Well, listen, Camille and…" Elijah trailed off and tried to look for a nametag, but the bartender wasn't wearing one.

"Zoey," she introduced. Elijah nodded.

"Zoey," he finished, grinning up at her politely. "I'm looking for someone who might shed some light on his current predicament," Elijah began. "She works here…Jane-Anne Deveraux? Any idea where I might find her?"

"No," Camille responded. "But there is someone who might," she tried.

"Sabine," Zoey told the Original before her with a sigh. "Find Sabine. She ought to know where Jane-Anne is," the brunette offered.

Elijah looked at the two women before him and nodded solemnly. "Thank you, ladies," he said kindly before dropping money for the drink down at the table. "I look forward to seeing you again."

"You too," Camille said with an equal amount of graciousness. Zoey and her cousin watched as Elijah left the bar and went off into the night.

"Well wasn't he classy," Zoey shot with a smile. "All dapper in his suit and whatnot," she teased as she straightened and resumed serving the rest of the customers. She walked around the bar, leaving her cousin to do her own work on her assigned side. Everything was fine and dandy until she heard a voice that brought her out of her solitude.

"Scotch," someone ordered as the customer sat down, and Zoey realized who it was immediately. She slowly moved her eyes to face the smirk of the King of New Orleans, Marcel.

With a heavy sigh, she gave him a bitter smile and turned. "Coming right up," she promised before bringing down the scotch from the shelf behind her. As she poured the drink for her customer, he began to speak, as usual.

"How's your day been, Zoe?"

"It _was _fine until now."

Marcel scowled. "Well, that's not very nice of you," he shot. Zoey looked up at him and passed Marcel his glass of alcohol.

"Here's your drink." With nothing else, she turned from him and took the next customer's drink order before actually making the drink. Slowly, Marcel drank the alcohol from the glass and studied her as she constructed the tequila on rocks for the next consumer.

"You should be nicer to me," he warned. Zoey looked up at him while passing the drink that she constructed to the person who ordered it. Quite peeved, she put her hands on the bar and prompted him with her expression.

"And why's that?"

"Because I allow you to live," Marcel said simply, taking a sip of his drink. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"One bite from me and you'd be dead."

"You couldn't even get close enough to try, honey."

Zoey gave him a challenging look. "All right, then. Wanna bet?"

Marcel grinned. "Do I get a date if I win?" he asked, his voice sly. Zoey stared at him before scoffing.

"You're ridiculous," she commented before turning away to clean the glasses while she waited for her next drink order. Marcel bit the inside of his cheek before speaking again.

"Look," he began, catching Zoey's annoyed attention. "The real reason I came here is because an old friend visited town. And he's like you," Marcel informed her.

Zoey stared at the vampire before her with slight confusion. Like her? This friend of his was a hybrid? It wasn't _impossible, _but she had spent the last year in New Orleans with no one to talk to about being a hybrid expect Marcel – and she would never converse with him about the matter. Ever since he found out her secret, he held it against her, keeping her on a tight leash, all the while dropping annoying little flirts here and there. But she knew vampires like Marcel – evil ones. Ones that didn't care about anything but power. To be fair, she really could've killed him when she arrived, but he was over a hundred years older than her. If she had gotten the upper hand, though, she could've done it.

But she didn't want to.

Killing was not her preference, and she didn't do it often. She fed from the scraps that Marcel's army left behind for her. Sometimes, she would take the initiative and find her own, but she did try and feed from blood bags more than fresh kills. Killing Marcel would be a challenge – one that she could push through – but killing was not in her nature. She wasn't a murderer, she was only a vampire.

Well…if the wrong person pissed her off, that statement might change.

"Another hybrid?" she repeated slowly. Marcel nodded, but before he could get another word out, someone came up to Marcel immediately, pulling him away from the bar. Skillfully hiding her head and brushing her hair behind her ear, she listened in on the conversation.

_"What is it?" _

_"Sophie Deveraux. Some of the guys saw her with her dead sister in the street doing some weird ritual over the body." _

_Jane-Anne is dead? _Zoey thought with alarm. She tried not to think about it while Marcel's response filled her ears.

_"Ugh, these witches never learn. Wait for me outside, I'll be right out._"

When she realized the conversation was over, Zoey cleared her throat and began to move regularly again, taking a man's order at the bar. When she walked over to the shelf, she heard Marcel.

"Zoe," he began, and she looked over at him, still annoyed. "I'll see you later." Marcel smiled before dropping the cash on the counter and exiting Rousseau's. With an aggravated sigh, she walked over to the bar counter and snatched up the money for Marcel's drink.

It was a while later when Sophie returned to the bar, and Zoey caught the eye of the witch. Yes, she knew about the predicament that the town had been under – Marcel controlling the rituals of the witches and making them suffer under his rule. He treated the town like it was his kingdom, which was what made Zoey so attested to his presence. He treated her like she was property and the witches like they were slaves. But, in all honesty, New Orleans was just a town – a tourist destination that deserved to be a city free of vampire "rule". It wasn't a kingdom to be claimed.

When Zoey saw the tears in Sophie's eyes, she decided that it wasn't the right time to push.

"What's wrong with Sophie?" Cami whispered in her cousin's ear a few minutes after Sophie went back to working. Zoey swallowed.

"Her…uh…her sister died," Zoey said after a while, turning her head and pouring a tequila shot. Cami's eyes widened and Zoey slid the shot to the person who ordered it.

"Jane-Anne _what_?"

Zoey sighed. "Her sister died, Cam," she said simply.

"W-W…" Cami tried to form words, but they were failing her. "How?" she said at last. Zoey turned to her cousin and shook her head.

"Don't know. We'll find out soon enough, though. We shouldn't bother Sophie with this – not yet, at least," she suggested, and Cami took a moment, but nodded in agreement.

"I…think I'm going to take a quick break," Cami said quietly before lifting the counter door and stepping out from behind the bar. Zoey sighed deeply again and resumed working as her cousin took her leave for a few minutes.

"What can I get you?" she asked the next customer who sat down a couple seats away.

"Gumbo," he said, his eyes full of lust for the meal. Zoey nodded obviously, knowing that the meal was what they were known for. She pulled out the last of the plate and set it in front of the man, whose eyes lit up with excitement as he received the plate.

"Enjoy," she said, tapping the bar twice before walking around the bar. "Sophie, we're out of Gumbo!" Zoey shouted quickly as she made her way over to the three new customers, their faces completely slipping her mind. "Sorry, what can I—"

She stopped short when she saw the three men in front of her – only there was just one that made her stop cold.

"Klaus."

* * *

_Zoey cleared her throat as the mysterious man approached her from the other side of the bar. "What can I get you?" she asked as he sat down._

_"Bourbon-whiskey, please, love," the man said in his unmistakable British accent. Zoey nodded curtly before twirling around and grabbing the bottle from the shelf. When she moved back around, as usual, the man spoke. "Quite a nice little joint here, isn't it?" Klaus turned his head to meet the bartender. "Been here long?" _

_"Since I turned twenty-one," she chimed with a smile as she poured his drink. _

_Klaus laughed. "Don't be ridiculous, love," he sung. She looked up at him, confused. "Beautiful girl like you shouldn't be behind there," Klaus warned. _

_Zoey tilted her head, trying to decipher whether she thought the comment was an insult or a compliment to her. After a while, she cleared her throat. _

_"Thanks," she said after a moment. "But…I like being a bartender," Zoey defended. _

_Again, the hybrid laughed. "Now, who in their right mind would _choose _to be a bartender?" _

_Narrowing her eyes, she responded. "I would," she said simply, her anger getting the best of her. The girl slammed her customer's drink down at the bar and shot him a bittersweet smile. "Enjoy your drink," she deadpanned, turning away. _

_"Aw," Klaus groaned. "I didn't mean to make you angry, sweetheart, believe me." She snuck a glance at him. "I was only curious, that's all." Zoey was silent, and that's the way things were for a while until Klaus spoke again. "What's your name, love?" _

_She thought for a moment, but the curiosity of the situation proved the best of her. "You first," Zoey challenged. _

_Klaus pouted. "That's not how it works." Zoey shrugged in response, and Klaus only chuckled under his breath. "All right, then. Klaus Mikaelson," he introduced with a smile. "Your turn," he chimed. _

_"Zoey Thomas." _

_And that was only the beginning. _

_It was hours later when everyone vacated due to the closing time. Instead of locking up like she normally would do on a regular basis, she put the closed sign in the door for everyone to see and walked back to the bar, where Klaus was proudly sipping his bourbon whiskey that she kept flowing for him. The two of them – shot after shot after shot – were drunk over their heads…or, at least, Zoey was. _

_But, after all, that was Klaus's intention. _

_"So I jumped off of the bunk bed and ended up breaking my arm…_and _my foster mother's cat," Zoey told him as she laughed uncontrollably, the memory resurfacing to her mind while she brought another drink to her lips. Klaus's laughs boomed in the room as well as they conversed with each other past the closing time. _

_"You grew up in the foster care system?" Klaus inquired. Zoey poured another shot. _

_"Yeah. I was orphaned since I was nine, I grew up in the system. I was one of the lucky ones, though," she said optimistically while shrugging. "I only had to go through a few families before Renée and Mike adopted me when I was fourteen and I moved to Portland," she explained, referring to her current parents. She drained the shot in her hand and immediately poured another one, though it wasn't because of the story. _

_"How did your parents die?" Klaus pushed. "If I may ask, of course," he corrected immediately, though the considerateness of his statement was more or less feigned. _

_Zoey shrugged. "It was a car crash on the way back home from work. They drove together," she explained._

_"And you didn't have any family to take you in after the crash?" Klaus continued. She shook her head. _

_"Nope," she said, moving her lips and shaking her head. "I mean…I guess I might've had a distant cousin or a family friend, but no one really came to take me, so I ended up in the system. It wasn't bad, really. Like I said, it could've been worse," she tried. _

_"Well, aren't you brave," Klaus said after a moment's silence. Zoey gave him a ghost of a smile and knocked back another drink. "I guess since you've shared a family secret, I guess I should, too." Zoey smirked at him and waited as Klaus leaned forward so that they were inches apart. "I'm a werewolf," he whispered, his voice only audible enough for her to hear, even though they were in an empty room. _

_The moment he said the words and moved back a little to see her reaction, she began to realize once she got a clear scent. _

_With a laugh, Zoey looked away for a moment before looking back at him. "So you obviously know about me," she challenged. Klaus smirked and brought his glass to his lips in an answer. "How could you be so sure?" _

_"You can't sniff them out yet?" Klaus asked, slightly surprised. Zoey was silent. "Ah, you're new," he said eventually. Zoey looked down, but nodded. "How'd you activate it?" _

_"Bar fight with this guy who was trying to hit on me," she answered truthfully, and Klaus stared at a moment before letting out an airless chuckle. _

_"Well, aren't you a charmer?" he positioned. Zoey shrugged._

_"To be honest, he deserved it," she confessed, and Klaus nodded in understanding. "But I wish I hadn't killed him and activated the curse," she admitted. _

_"Find me someone who doesn't wish they activated the curse. Even if they killed someone who was going to kill someone else," Klaus scoffed. Zoey laughed, though her smile was weak. "The full moon's tomorrow night," he informed her. _

_Zoey nodded. "Yep," she agreed. _

_"How many times will you have turned including tomorrow's moon?" _

_"Three times," she answered. Klaus blew out a whistle of air and looked around the room before back at her. _

_"Do you have a pack?" he asked. She nodded. _

_"One of my friends told me about them. They're common here," Zoey explained. "We meet up two hours before the full moon in the woods by the town limit." Klaus gave a signal of understanding as he drank from his glass again, and things were silent for a moment before Zoey inhaled. "Do you…want to join us, Klaus?" she asked after a while of debating with herself. _

_Klaus was silent, trying not to give his triumphant feeling away. "I would love to," he returned with a smile, and Zoey smiled back at him. But little did she know that the next night, she and the rest of her pack would be his next hybrid conquer. _

* * *

"Klaus," Zoey breathed, her voice catching at the end. Klaus stared back at her, silent for a moment's notice.

Until he decided to pay no mind to it and slap down a hundred dollar bill on the counter. "Your oldest scotch," Klaus spoke, clearing his throat, "for my two friends, here, love."

Zoey stared at him for a moment before looking down at the bill and scoffing to herself. "Wow," she said, picking up the bill from the counter. "Two years and all I get is a drink order?"

"Things never change, do they?" Klaus shot her a smile and she just grimaced at him. Without paying any more attention to the brunette before him, he gripped the two vampires' necks and spoke to them instead. "Marcel wants to know what I'm up to, he can ask me himself," Klaus barked before leaving the bar, not giving a second glance to Zoey, who stood behind the counter and just watched him leave.

"Who was that?" a voice said in her ear, making her jump in her own shoes. Zoey turned to see Cami standing beside her, shuffling through the alcohol on under the counter. The hybrid swallowed before answering.

"An old…um…" How did she explain it? Sire? Flame? "Friend," she decided. "An old friend." With hesitation – back and forth movements of her head – Zoey finally decided something. "Sophie?" she called out into the back, but Sophie wasn't anywhere to be found.

"What's wrong, Zoe?" Cami asked, concerned for her cousin. Zoey turned around at Camille and shook her head hesitantly.

"N-Nothing," she responded after a second. "I…I just don't feel well. I think I'm going to go on a short break, tell Sophie that I'll be back in fifteen minutes, tops." Without waiting for her cousin to respond, Zoey removed herself from behind the bar and walked out of Rousseau's, intent on speaking to the person that she never thought she'd willingly try and see.

She arrived at Marcel's ridiculously large and booming mansion, her mind set on one thing and one thing only – to talk to him about Klaus being in town. Truth was, she wanted him gone. Klaus would only cause problems.

Typically, a hybrid created by Klaus would be sired to him – and the truth of the matter was that she _had _been sired to him the first few weeks of her transition. Instead, he decided to leave, and she decided to move on. She didn't need Klaus back in her life; it would only raise complications. Plus, Cami didn't know about her secret. Klaus could very easily change that detail.

When she found Marcel lurking in a corner with a bunch of his friends, she set right after him. The whole house was a blood-junkie party for his evil little minions – it was downright repulsive. But the overwhelming scent of blood filled her nostrils at every turn, but she fought every urge to divulge.

"Zoe!" Marcel exclaimed when he caught the sight of her in his eye. She rushed over to him. "What are you—?"

"Klaus?" Zoey didn't waste any time beating around the bush. "Your little 'friend' that you wanted to introduce me to was _Klaus_?" she demanded. Marcel looked around and laughed.

"Yes, _Klaus. _Who else did you think I would introduce you to?"

Zoey scoffed. "Sure as hell _not _Klaus Mikaelson!"

"Why is this such a big deal?" Marcel chuckled, not quite understanding the situation. Zoey swallowed.

"We…have a past," she said, straightening. Marcel was silent. "And it's a very _bad _past and I'm afraid that he's going to go around telling everyone that I'm a hybrid," she snapped.

Marcel shrugged. "So?" he prompted. "You're a hybrid. I know that. Now, it would be different if I didn't know that—"

"What if he tells Cami?" Zoey said, cutting him off immediately. Marcel silenced. "Right. What if he tells your group of vampire _bitches_? They ought to revel in the story about how you let me _live _though I could sink my teeth into any one of them at any moment and they'd be dead in forty-eight hours," she challenged.

"You really think that your past is that bad that he'd tell everyone and anyone that you're a hybrid?" Marcel asked, genuinely inquiring about the situation. Zoey was quiet for a moment, and the truth of the matter was that she didn't know what Klaus would do. But was it really worth the risk of having her cousin find out about her being a supernatural creature? About Marcel being put in a place where he'd have to kill her? Maybe they could get past that, but she didn't want everyone knowing that she was a hybrid. She didn't want to be another minion of Marcel's.

But she didn't even get a chance to answer, because when she tried, another voice took the opportunity.

_"WHERE. IS. MARCEL?" _a loud voice shouted, and both Zoey and Marcel turned to see Klaus holding one of Marcel's minions, Diego, by the neck. Marcel quickly left Zoey without another glance back.

And, in frustration, she left without hearing the rest of the conversation, just hoping that Marcel would deal with the problem before he caused any more issues in the town.

* * *

Cami had already finished her shift by the time that Zoey finished hers. Usually, she'd take the latest night shift, but she asked Sophie if she could go home for the night. Sophie agreed, and she did what she said she would do…only, she ran into the street artists on the corner and got intrigued. After the long day that Zoey Thomas had, she thought she deserved a little downtime. So, she watched with heightened eyes as an artist stroked his brush vigorously on a canvas, music from a performing group on the corner playing in the background. Why couldn't life be as simple as what was on a canvas? With the canvas, it was straightforward. What you saw was what you got. In life, there were so many different angles with things, it was hard to tell what was the truth and what was a lie.

So she stood in her place, watching the artist intensely cover the canvas with paint. And it almost slipped her mind to check for other presences beside her, but she felt it when someone was closer than two inches towards her.

"Oh, would you look at that," Zoey mumbled as she turned her head to see—as she predicted—Klaus. Standing right behind her. "He _actually _stops to say hello. Shocker."

"You're angry with me," Klaus noted. Zoey scoffed. "Understandable."

The hybrid took a moment, but eventually, she sighed. "I'm not…_angry_," she said after a moment's pause. "I'm…confused," she admitted while turning to face him. "You left me."

"It was for the best."

Zoey stared at him for a moment. "Okay…_now _I'm angry." She turned around sharply and studied on the artist again, making a mental vow not to speak to the hybrid behind her. But, instead, she didn't have to.

"With heightened senses, it's easy to depict what artists are feeling while they paint or draw," Klaus said to her, looking down at Zoey while she stared at the artist and tried not to focus on him. "What do you see, Zoey?"

Zoey exhaled. "I don't want a lesson on being a vampire right now, Klaus—"

"What do you see, Zoey?" Klaus repeated slowly as she looked up at him, and he stared down at her with seriousness. Zoey squared her jaw for a moment before turning around and looking at the artist painting the man on his canvas.

"I see…" Zoey trailed off in her sentence, and she shifted trying to focus on the artist's movement. "I see a broken man," she said at last with a sigh. She brought her hand up to gesture at him. "He's…paints the picture like he's angry at something, but the brushstrokes are in all different directions," she depicted. With another exhausted sigh, she continued. "He's lost. Alone." Zoey paused. "Probably has something to do with all the liquor he's had tonight." She turned to him. "What do you know, having a cousin who's a Psych major sort of pays off when you decide to test me."

"Well, you're a great student," he returned at her, and their eyes locked for a moment before Zoey spoke.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice low. "Wasn't it enough to leave me behind? I don't need a checkup every two years."

"I didn't come here to check up on you," Klaus answered immediately. Zoey stayed silent. "I didn't know you were even here until I saw you at the bar."

Zoey was quiet for a long time before she answered, carefully choosing her words. "Well, then, it should be no problem for you to leave again, right?" She shot him a sour smile and briskly walked away, not even surprised that Klaus didn't pull her back.

When she reached home and finally thought that the night was completely over with…_shocker. _It wasn't. Marcel was waiting for her inside of her apartment, owned by her so she actually was able to get inside.

Zoey placed her jacket and her house keys on the table by the door and sighed. "What do you want, Marcel?"

"You're a hybrid," he said slowly, and Zoey waited for him to finish. "You can bite vampires and they can die, but your blood can heal them, too, right?" His voice was almost…_hopeful. _Like he was counting on her for something important.

Zoey walked further into her apartment and slipped her hands into her pockets. "Um…no," she said after a pause. "It doesn't work like that. The only cure for a werewolf bite is Klaus's blood, not a hybrid's."

Marcel lowered his eyes, disappointed. "I see," he said with a weak smile. "Well, thanks anyways." He moved to walk out the door, but Zoey caught his arm.

"What is it, Marcel, what happened?" she asked, a little worried. When he turned to her, she removed her hand.

"Klaus bit Thierry," Marcel explained slowly, his voice dropping. The vampire cleared his throat. "I don't think he'll have much longer. Like you said, less than forty-eight hours." He wanted to add a laugh, but this wasn't a laughing matter.

Zoey thought for a moment about what she wanted to say. "I'm…sorry," she said after a while, and Marcel nodded at her in response. It didn't mean that she wasn't still opposed to the fact that Marcel treated the town like it was his kingdom, but it meant something to him.

And he left, finally ending the day that had turned her own world upside down.

* * *

**I have a few mixed emotions on the chapter...I hope Zoey didn't seem like she was taking Cami's place or anything...because she won't be normally. I just had to push Cami off to the side a little bit, but the whole compulsion thing with Klaus and Cami will still take place. And let's just say that Zoey probably won't be so happy about that, right? **

**Well, that's all I have for you this chapter! If it sucks...well, I can't do much about that. But if it's good, at least try to tell me. Try to tell me if it sucks, too, but in a nice way :) I know my writing is terrible, but I'm trying to make sure I don't make everyone rip their hair out at my writing because it's so repetitive. Ugh. Anyways, whatever. **

**I'll try and update ASAP. **

_**Love, **_

_**BellaSalvatore1918**_

_**X**_


	2. House of the Rising Son

**Hi, everyone! Thank you for all the reviews last chapter and the follows...favorites...etc. It always means a lot :) I hope you enjoy this chapter (took me long enough to write it), but I hope that I'm living up to standards. This chapter is a little longer than the first, but it's still a little short. Don't worry, they will get increasingly longer when Zoey becomes a part of a lot more things; right now she's just beginning. **

**That said, enjoy the chapter! A review at the end would be greatly appreciated!**

**Disclaimer: Refer to the first chapter please :)**

* * *

**House of the Rising Son**

"Morning, Soph," Zoey greeted as she waltzed through the threshold of Rousseau's to help Sophie open the restaurant for lunch that day. Unlike Cami, she wasn't just a part-time bartender, she was the full-time bartender; at least, for now. In a couple years when Cami realized that she wasn't growing any older, she'd have to move on. And, of course, it had been a shame to her until yesterday when she found out Klaus was back in town. But, really, she decided not to think about it and move on with her life. With any luck at all, he would be halfway to whatever hole he crawled out of by now.

"Hey, Zoey," Sophie responded as she wiped down the table. "How was your night?"

Zoey shrugged. "Same old, same old." She shot the witch a small smile and put her things down behind the bar before walking over to Sophie in the back. "What can I help with?"

"Can you start with cleaning the floors?" Sophie prompted, gesturing towards the broom in the corner. Zoey hummed an agreement and walked over to the cleaning supplies. Before she grabbed the broom, she slipped on her half-apron over her waist, tied it behind her back, and quickly pulled her long, dark hair up into a ponytail. Only then did she grab the broom and begin to sweep the floors as directed, but that's when the both of them heard the front door open and shut.

Sophie and Zoey both looked at each other. "You heard that, right?" Zoey prompted the witch.

"Aren't you a vampire? Supposed to hear everything?"

"Well..._yeah, _but…still." With a scoff, she rounded the corner and peered out into the open and empty restaurant space, but there was no one in her vision. She gripped the broom in her hand tight, ready to make a move, but then she realized and sighed. "Marcel, if this is you trying to mess with us, I _will _stab you. Don't test me," she warned, sweeping her eyes around the empty space. There was no answer.

"Seriously, Marcel?" Sophie demanded, though Marcel wasn't really confirmed as their intruder. "Trying to _scare _me? I had _nothing _to do with the attack on your guys last night!"

Zoey looked over at Sophie. "Wait, Marcel's guys got attacked?" Sophie nodded. "Wow…I'm _really _kept out of the loop." She wanted to ask another question, but she instantly heard something, and using her vampire speed, she _whooshed _around to face whoever was messing with them. The pots above the cooking area where Sophie prepared some of the meals were rattling, but it wasn't because of her. They had been rattling before she turned around with her speed. Someone was _definitely _there with them. Zoey inched forward with the broom ready to be yielded as a weapon, and warned Sophie with an arm gesture to stay back.

The hybrid looked around, trying to find the source of the vampire speed that wasn't her, and when she heard just the _slightest _creak, she broke the broom in two using her knee and whipped around, yielding the broom as a weapon like she'd promised.

"Wow," the intruder praised, a small smile playing on her lips. "A vampire working for a witch. Now there's a shocker that I didn't expect in this town."

"Not a vampire," Zoey shot, letting her eyes glaze over to reveal the yellow irises that defined her as something different entirely. The blonde intruder tilted her head.

"Scratch that, I meant hybrid. My mistake." But the first thing on Zoey's mind wasn't how she could converse with her intruder. Instead, she used the other end of the broom to plunge into the intruder's skin, only…the blonde vampire just blocked her with her other hand. Without saying a single word, the blonde pushed Zoey down to the floor with her strength, taking both ends of the broom in her hand. Once the hybrid was down, the blonde shoved the ends of the broom somewhere else and sighed. "Relax, I'm not here to fight you." She spun around to face Sophie. "Sophie Deveraux," she said, almost impressed. "My brother Elijah told me about you. Know who I am?"

"Yeah." _What? _Zoey thought to herself, but Sophie wasn't lying. The look on her face expressed sincerity. "I know."

"Then you know we need to talk."

"I'm sorry." Zoey flashed up to her feet and looked pointedly at Sophie. "You _know _each other?" She brushed herself off from the impact of the intruder's force.

Sophie sighed. "Zoey, this is Rebekah Mikaelson." _Mikaelson, _Zoey repeated in her thoughts. "She's—"

"Klaus's sister?" Zoey filled in. Rebekah looked at her strangely. "Well…upon that knowledge, I would say I was sorry for fighting you, but I'm not."

"How do you know my brother?"

"Isn't it obvious?" She scoffed. "He sired me," Zoey sneered. She didn't really like talking about it.

"Wow," Rebekah praised, holding herself high. "You seem to hate my brother almost as much as I do. Sorry I can't stay for chitchat." Rebekah turned back at Sophie. "Well? I don't have all day!"

Sophie sighed and looked over Rebekah's shoulder to see Zoey. "You think you can handle things here for a little bit?" Zoey hesitantly nodded while Sophie turned back to the blood. "All right, let's go." And, within a couple of seconds, they were both gone from the bar, leaving Zoey alone to finish cleaning before opening time.

* * *

"How you doing over here, cous?" Zoey asked as she sat down in the seat across from Cami as her cousin studied with her nose in her psychology book. Cami fortunately took some time to look up at Zoey to meet her smile.

"Aren't you supposed to be working?"

"Bartenders can't have breaks?"

Cami just laughed. "I'm fine, Zoe. But I have a test to study for, so…" she trailed off. Zoey sighed, and braced herself to speak, but that's when she heard the door open and close, and the person that stepped through the threshold caught her eye. Klaus merely smiled at her, but she just looked over at Cami.

"Wish granted. Need anything?"

"No, thanks. I'm okay."

"Awesome." Without anything else, Zoey got up from the table and resumed her regular position waiting on tables and getting people as many drinks as she could, trying to avoid the fact that Klaus and Marcel were only a few feet away from her, conversing to themselves. She thought for a moment about _not _listening into their conversation but…what kind of hybrid would she be if she didn't?

_"Business first. The coroner called. He's got my number in case any dead tourists show up." _

_"Let me guess. Dead tourists with a stump on their head and vampire blood in their veins." _

_"It happens. Someone takes a drunken tumble off the balcony…or into the Mississippi…and today I've got two of them to deal with." _

There was a long pause, and as that pause breezed by, Zoey thought about what Marcel had said. Only when they resumed their conversation did she listen in again.

_"In pursuit of the bartender for Rousseau's, I see." _

_"Eh…she's a work in progress. I was hoping you could give me some tips, seeing as you sired her and all." _

_"Zoey's a tough one."_

_"And those are the ones I like." _

"All right, _seriously_?" Zoey slammed her hands down on the counter and the two men looked over at her. "You _know _that I can hear you. I'm less than ten feet away," she accused them. Both of them just gave her an approving look, and Klaus laughed.

"As usual. Can't take a compliment."

She frowned. "It's a compliment to be treated like I'm a prize?" Zoey shot. Marcel couldn't help but laugh.

"More like a queen fit for a king," Klaus retorted, which only made Zoey roll her eyes out of a bit of annoyance. Klaus turned his head to look at Marcel, who was staring at Zoey. "I think he should cut his losses and move on."

Zoey gasped and turned to Klaus. "Oh my God! Klaus Mikaelson has a brilliant idea for once! Tell me more, tell me more!" she mocked him, earning a slight, subtle smile from the hybrid. She looked back and forth between Marcel and Klaus. "So…what's this I hear about your little tourist hoax gone wrong?"

"Come on," Marcel said, beckoning her forward. "You should join us. It's about time you get involved with some of the things in this town."

She wanted to object, but she thought back to earlier in the morning when she didn't even know that Marcel's men had been attacked. Maybe trying to live a normal human life in New Orleans like she'd planned was starting to take a turn for the worst. So, with a sigh, she left her post at the bar and walked over to Klaus and Marcel. "Fine," she said, exasperated. Marcel looked genuinely shocked at her acceptance. "What? I've been out of the loop _way _too long."

Marcel raised his eyebrows. "You were never _in _the loop. You wanted to make sure you stayed out of it, actually."

Klaus looked up at her, surprised. "Since when do _you _not crave adventure, sweetheart?"

"Don't call me that," she told him briskly. Marcel intervened.

"Why don't I fill you in on all the details over dinner?" Marcel offered, as if daring her. She looked over at him. "Here? Nine o'clock?"

Before she was given a chance to respond, Cami suddenly came over to the three of them. "I'm going to head back to my place for a little bit. You want to join me?" her cousin offered. Zoey opened her mouth, but looked over at Marcel and Klaus.

"You know, Cami, I would, but I have to finish a couple things here first." Cami nodded in understanding, but Zoey suddenly had a brilliant idea – one that would hopefully get Marcel off her back. "Cami! You know, Marcel was just asking me if he could invite you to dinner."

"He was?" Cami looked over at him, confused. Marcel looked up at Zoey, surprised at the turn of events. Zoey nodded.

"Yep. He was. So…do you want to go with him?" She didn't really know what to expect out of her cousin's mouth, but she was fairly certain that it would be a "no". As a matter of fact, though Camille's answer was very vague, it was exactly what she was looking for.

"I'll…take it under consideration," Cami promised before heading out of the bar without a second glance. Marcel turned to Zoey once Cami was gone.

"I didn't ask her, I asked you."

Zoey frowned. "The closest thing you'll be getting to _me _is her, so I would take what you can get." Klaus bit back a laugh. "So I'm going to go tell Sophie that I'm taking the day off. Wait for me outside?" She didn't wait for their response, but merely turned on her heel and walked off to talk to Sophie, who reluctantly agreed upon taking the day off. After she met back up with Klaus and Marcel, they ended up going to an underground garage, where a black SUV was waiting for their arrival.

"Welcome to the land of the newly dead," Marcel raved as two men opened the back of the truck to reveal two very _frightened _transitional vampires desperately seeking answers. "I won't waste your time." He looked at Thierry, which made Zoey double take at first. She thought Thierry was supposed to be dead. "I trust you've filled them in."

"To be honest, not much in the way of potential here," Thierry disapproved. Marcel sighed.

"Yeah, well…I just lost six nightwalkers. I've got holes to fill." Marcel inhaled sharply. "I'll keep this quick – that itch you feel? That's the need to feed coming on strong. A hunger for human blood. Drink it, you're a vampire. Don't, you die – _again. _This time for good. Right here, in a body bag." Marcel turned around at Klaus and Zoey. "What do you think? Cute dorky girl or gay best friend?"

"That's a joke, right?" Zoey laughed, but Marcel didn't. When she realized he wasn't kidding, she just set her mouth in a hard line and said nothing.

"Dealer's choice," Klaus answered, throwing a glance to Zoey, who caught it and turned away without lingering.

"Dealer's choice," Marcel repeated. "Okay!" He pulled out a coin from his pocket and held it up for the two new vampires to see. "Whoever picks up _this _coin gets to live forever." He looked at the both of them and stayed silent for a while. "The other one dies," he added. The blonde in the back of the car's breath caught, and the boy beside her just looked genuinely scared. "Go!" Marcel encouraged as he placed the coin down between the body bags and stepped away for them to make their decision.

"Don't," the boy whispered to the girl, shaking his head. But, after a moment, the girl just reached forward and snatched it up in her hand. Marcel laughed.

_"Damn, girl! _I said _damn!_" He boomed. The boy shakily breathed towards his friend.

"H-How _could _you?"

"Get over it, Josh. It's not like I had a choice. You would've done the _same _thing, but you're such a little weakling—" Before the traitor could finish the sentence, Marcel jumped into the trunk of the car and snapped her neck so the transitional vampire was dead again, this time for good. Marcel zipped up the body bag and turned to Thierry.

"Let her die in cold storage," he told his vampire minion, who just nodded in response. Marcel looked at the boy who was still alive. "I've got a thing about people who betray their own friends." He looked back at Klaus, who said nothing. Zoey felt like she was missing a _major _part of the story between them. "Come on." Marcel turned back to the boy. "Let's go for a ride."

He jumped out of the car and began to walk out of the garage. Once he was gone, Zoey said something that she'd been dying to figure out. "Aren't you supposed to be dead?" she asked Thierry, who just looked at her after she asked the question.

"Yeah." He threw a glare at Klaus. "I was."

Klaus chuckled. "Yes, I had a very unfortunate lack of judgment, but I have made amends." Thierry nearly rolled his eyes – a gesture that didn't go unnoticed by Zoey. And, with that, Thierry took the new vampire and Diego merely hopped in the driver's seat, driving the car to the outside perimeter, leaving Klaus and Zoey alone. "So, I'm quite curious to how you managed to keep the fact that you're lethal to all of these vampires to yourself over time," he admitted as they began to walk.

She shrugged. "They all just think I'm another vampire," Zoey told him, as if it were obvious. "But Marcel likes to think that he has some power over me knowing that I'm a hybrid. I just let him because I like it here. Or, I did before Marcel turned it into his own slaughter house."

"Do you know how he's controlling the witches?"

Zoey shook her head. "Nope." She pulled them to a stop hesitantly, a little curious about Klaus's questions. "Why the questions, Klaus?"

Klaus paused for a long time. "Because I am about to wage war," he said simply, causing her to raise her eyebrows with sheer confusion. "And I need you to pick your side."

* * *

"Is it done?" Klaus asked Zoey as she returned to his table. He tilted his glass back to drink the alcohol in his cup as she nodded a response with a sigh.

"Let's just hope Marcel's flexible and willing to go for an O'Connell instead of a Thomas," she admitted, taking the glass from Klaus's hand and drinking it for herself. Klaus only watched her in curiosity as she recoiled from the burn and poured herself another glass. "Onto something else, let's talk about this werewolf you've knocked up." Zoey's lips twitched in a smile. "Who would've thought – a hybrid baby."

Klaus sighed. "Seems a little hard to believe, doesn't it?"

Zoey scoffed. "That's an understatement." She lowered her eyes for a moment before inhaling and starting again. "What about the mom?" she prompted, letting out a small laugh. "Random one night stand or…?"

"More or less," Klaus admitted, unsure. "But I have more important things to worry about right now than my relationship status."

Zoey chuckled. "Right." She smiled and poured herself another shot in the same glass.

"I'm glad you chose my side, you know," he said slowly, making her look up at him. She was quiet for what seemed like hours before clearing her throat.

"You may be the ultimate hybrid _dick_, but I'd rather play for your team than play for _his_," Zoey sighed, gulping down the drink.

"Why do you hate him so much?" Klaus inquired, leaning back in his chair, waiting for the answer. Zoey traced her finger around the glass's rim as she responded.

"Honestly?" Klaus nodded. "When I first came to town, he reminded me of you, which _sucked, _so I kept my distance." Zoey paused to shrug. "But then he found out what I was and I had my own problems with him." Klaus only stared at her, and after a while, she spoke again. "So what's your deal? You two act like you're best friends, but yet you want to take his _kingdom _from him."

Klaus laughed. "I sired Marcel," he explained. Zoey gave him a bitter look.

"Oh, so you left him in the dust, too, claiming it to be the right thing?" she shot, giving him a sour smile. Klaus only chuckled, sweeping his eyes across the room before answering.

"No. No. Our history is much more complicated than that. Besides, there was no sire bond to break." He leaned forward and opened his mouth, nothing coming out until seconds later. "You know, you may hate me, but what I did was for the good of both of us. I did it to break the bond, and it succeeded. So, you're welcome."

Zoey scoffed. "I'm supposed to _thank you _for making me fall into über-depression for three months?" She swallowed a large gulp and winced at the burn. "The only thing that kept me from turning off my emotions was focusing on finding any family that I could tie to my birth parents."

"Which you did," Klaus said, gesturing towards her. "So be happy, love. Things happen for a reason." She rolled her eyes, a typical gesture for the hybrid to accomplish. "I'm curious, though, did you _really _fall into depression?"

But the way he said it was so playful that she couldn't resist a laugh, but instead of answering, Klaus took her opportunity and spoke to some else. "I know that face! Woman trouble."

"You're a dick," Marcel laughed at the hybrid before him. Zoey gave him an approving look while drinking out of the glass she had stolen from Klaus's hand and hadn't given back. "You know that. Why didn't you tell me your sister's back in town."

"I thought it'd be amusing for you to find out for yourself," Klaus admitted.

Zoey inhaled. "Oh, you know, I forgot to tell you. I met her this morning. We tried to kill each other."

"That's nice."

"Mmhmm," she agreed, and Marcel looked back and forth at the both of them before speaking.

"Is there anything else that I need to know?"

Klaus chuckled. "Only that she's grown more _considerably _insane in the last century," said the hybrid as he stole the glass that Zoey drank out of, earning a grumpy look from her when he poured alcohol into the glass and drank it himself.

"Or…maybe…it was _her_ that killed my guys."

"Doubtful," Klaus defended his sister. "Unless that biker bar is frequented by small town high school quarterbacks, I can't imagine she'd be interested."

"How super specific of you," Zoey commented, giving Klaus a confused look. He shrugged and before Marcel could speak, his phone rang, and, as usual, he took it on the first ring.

"Yeah?" Marcel barked. Both Klaus and Zoey looked at each other once before listening in on the conversation over the phone. Marcel's minion on the other side of the line started explaining how there was a spotting of a werewolf. "Get a couple nightwalkers to run it down. Bring me back its head." _Someone _was in a good mood. Klaus sighed.

"Well, I guess that solves the mystery of the murdered riffraff. At least my sister's in the clear," Klaus smiled.

"About that," Marcel began. "I don't have time for Mikaelson family drama. You're my guest. Keep your sister in line." Klaus sighed.

"Have a better chance at draining the Mississippi with a _straw_," he mumbled. Marcel just turned to Zoey.

"Nine o'clock?" he prompted. She shook her head. "Come on, I _promise _it'll just be to fill you in. Nothing else."

"But you already made plans with my sister, Marcel." Zoey gave him a light smile. "She would be _devastated _if you didn't go on this date with _her_." Marcel frowned. "No, I'm serious, Marcel, she actually wants to go on this date. And I advise that you take the offer while it stands because you and I will _never _stand."

"You've been saying that for months."

"And I've meant it…_for months_." She reached across the table and grabbed Klaus's glass from him and drank the contents, drowning herself and yet again wincing at the burn. When she returned her head back to her original line of sight, Marcel was thankfully gone, and Klaus only stared after him.

"You're so harsh with him," Klaus admitted. She poured herself another shot. "Nice to see one thing hasn't changed."

"Marcel is…evil and…self-conceded…and immoral," she explained herself. "I've _got _to stop attracting guys like that." Zoey knocked back the drink in her hand as Klaus let out a light chuckle, but it was a weak one. Eventually, he got up from his seat and left money on the counter for the drinks that they'd endured.

"Come on," he said, jerking his head. "I have a feeling a friend of mine is in trouble."

* * *

"This is why I told you never to leave the house," Klaus said through his teeth as he gestured to the three dead bodies that he had come across after he and Zoey found Rebekah and the werewolf, Hayley, standing over the three men. One, fortunately, was still alive, but it was both a blessing and a curse. They were now all standing in the front yard of the Mikaelson Manor, Rebekah and Hayley getting yelled at by him and Zoey idly standing by, caught up in the mess. "Werewolves are _banned _in the quarter. I had a plan, and your little nighttime stroll put it all in peril." Rebekah began to walk forward, but Klaus snapped, "Leave him!" he shouted loudly, making Rebekah stop in her steps. "You've done enough, don't you think? Leaving a trail of bodies like a road map to my door."

"If I hadn't overheard this lot _bragging _about werewolf heads, _everyone _here would be screwed! And don't give me that _crap _about having a plan. You've had all the time in the _world _to execute a plan and _no one _has seen you do a damn thing!" Both Klaus and Zoey knew that wasn't the case, but neither one of them said anything. Zoey didn't even want to _be _there, but Klaus decided to drag her with him. "Elijah made a deal to protect _your _child so that he could save you from your _selfish, rotten _self. But you obviously don't give a damn about the child _or _Elijah because what have you done to honor it?"

"I have done _everything!_" Klaus snapped, making Rebekah fall silent. "Let me spell it out for you, shall I?" he said, throwing his hands up in the air. "From the day I arrived, Marcel hasn't trusted me. From _day one_, he's had his vampires ingest toxic vervain, which, as you know, little sister, protects them from my mind control. I _needed _a spy. Someone on the inside with me who Marcel would never suspect. So, I created a day zero and got there first." He paused. "Marcel had just lost _six _vampires, thanks to your little murder spree, and he needed new recruits. So I made him mine before he'd had even a drop." He looked over at Zoey. "But we all know the _real _way to his man is through his heart, so I enlisted Zoey to help me. Instead, she came up with a better plan that would serve her better interests as well, and in the process, she became our ally. She compelled her cousin to date Marcel, who was already starting to feel rejected by her." Klaus paused before turning around to look at the one unconscious man who Rebekah had left. "And this one"—Klaus grabbed the unconscious vampire by the neck and dragged him down to the ground—"I'm going to drain him of vervain, compel him to believe that his mates found religion and moved to Utah so that _he _can explain to Marcel why he lost _three _more vampires tonight." Angrily, Klaus stormed into the house, and the three women followed. "Does anyone have any more questions?" Klaus said, throwing his hands up in frustration. No one spoke. "No? Good. Because I have a question." He looked over at Hayley. "Hayley. What were you doing in the bloody French Quarter in the first place?" She was quiet. "_Answer me!" _

"Leave her be," Rebekah muttered, but Hayley just stood up for herself by stepping forward.

"You want to know what I was doing?" Things were silent before the brunette werewolf continued. "I was buying _poison. _So I could put _your _little baby out of its misery."

And that was all Niklaus needed to snap – which he did. He flashed and pinned Hayley to a wall, a hand wrapped tightly around her neck, cutting off all of her air circulation. The werewolf choked for air, and Zoey looked desperately at Rebekah, who was trying to gain Klaus's attention by calling his name. "_Seriously?" _she said, and she flashed over to push Klaus back, which she did successfully. Though the hybrid recoiled and tried to set after them again, only this time, Rebekah stopped him.

"The girl's pregnant for God's sake!" Rebekah snapped at him, stopping the hybrid from moving anywhere. Hayley choked for air, and Zoey tried to help her regain the air that she had lost. "All of this bluster about not wanting the child, and then the _second _she tells you that she's ready to get rid of it?" Klaus fell completely silent, saying nothing at all. "It's _okay _to care," she told him. "It's _okay _to want something. That's _all _Elijah was trying to do – all he's ever wanted for you." Rebekah paused. "All _we've _ever wanted."

A distraught Klaus merely stumbled backwards to sit on the bottom ledge of the staircase, his eyes glistening. Rebekah just walked around him and sat on the other side, and things were quiet until Klaus spoke. "I gave Elijah to Marcel."

Rebekah turned her head. "What?"

Klaus looked anywhere else but into his sister's eyes. "Marcel was nervous. Bad enough _one _Original returned to town, but _two_?" Rebekah scoffed. "His crew was getting antsy…he wanted Elijah gone, so…I gave him a peace offering."

"You bartered our brother?"

"I have a _plan. _Gain Marcel's trust. Dismantle his empire. Honor Elijah's wish that that baby be born. I am executing that plan the only way I know how." He looked over at Hayley and Zoey, and then his eyes skimmed over the door. "If you don't like it, there's the door." Slowly, Klaus got up from his position with a mutter, "See if I care."

"Wait!" Zoey shouted, stopping Klaus from leaving them all. Rebekah had leaned back on the staircase, exhausted from running around in circles. Klaus turned around to face her.

"What?"

"I have an idea," she said slowly, nodding at him. "One that might just get your brother back." Zoey looked over at Rebekah. "You just have to promise that you won't kill me."

* * *

"Let _go _of me!" Zoey snarled as Rebekah dragged her into Rousseau's, bursting through the door with a single push of her leg. Marcel immediately looked up to see them, but Rebekah walked around to face them, holding Zoey by the collar of her jacket.

"You lied to me," Rebekah accused angrily. "Where's my brother?"

"What are you doing with her?" Marcel asked, slowly rising out of his seat. Rebekah yanked Zoey out of his reach and stepped back with her. "Rebekah, _stop _it."

"Hey, that's my cousin—" But before Cami could finish, Rebekah let go of Zoey and pushed her towards her cousin's direction and flashed, pinning Marcel hard against the nearest wall.

"Tell me where Elijah is!"

"What the hell is going on?" Cami shouted.

"Tell me where he is or I will kill you!" Rebekah pushed, shoving her arm into Marcel's throat harder. Marcel just looked down at her smugly.

"No. You won't," he accused her firmly, as if he was sure of himself. Rebekah took a moment, but she knew he was right. She released his throat and stepped back.

"Perhaps you're right," she admitted, but in another flash, she was over with Zoey, pinning her straight against the wall. Zoey gasped for air and struggled against Rebekah's hand, but Rebekah didn't let her go. "But I _will _kill her." Cami gasped loudly, completely unaware of the situation.

Marcel threw up his hands in surrender. "Let her go," he demanded. Zoey tried desperately to pull Rebekah's hand off of her throat, but it wasn't working. Rebekah just stared. "You won. I'll take you to see Elijah."

"You heard him, he'll do what you asked!" Zoey said through choked gasps. "_Let_…_me….go!" _As soon as she got the last word out, the blonde vampire released her, and the hybrid hunched over, gasping for air that she had been denied of. Marcel rushed over to her.

"Are you okay? Talk to me," he pleaded. She only stayed bent over, her hands on her knees to keep her in that position. But it wasn't Zoey that they needed to be worried about – her cousin a few feet away from her was terrified out of her own mind.

"I'm fine," Zoey breathed out. "I'm fine, I'm fine." She straightened and swallowed. "Cami," she said, breathless, and Marcel turned around to look at Cami, who was on her highest guard. In a flash, Marcel sped over to her and pinned the human against the wall.

"Shh," he hushed her, his hands gently on her shoulder. "It's okay. Go home with Zoey. Forget _all _of this and just know that I will make it up to you, I promise." Zoey resisted smiling to herself – her plan had worked. She'd rejected Marcel enough that pushing him off to her cousin was a brilliant plan. Marcel turned to Rebekah. "You want to see Elijah; fine. Follow me."

And, within moments, they were out of the room, and Zoey caught her breath and was now able to smile freely at her plan that had successfully gone through.

Now she would just wait for the news about the brother that they had gone through all of this to get.

* * *

**Ugh. I have school tomorrow. NOT happy about it. School is dumb. And boring. And pointless...who thought of the idea to make us slave away at school, anyway? I seriously feel like we're back in the 1800s again with slavery, except it's towards children under the age of 18. Sigh. At least we had an entire week off for snow for the last couple days. **

**Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. More to come ASAP. Review!**

_**Love, **_

_**BellaSalvatore1918**_

_**X**_


	3. Tangled Up in the Blue

**Hey everyone! Sorry it took me so long with this update, but this episode was really hard to write for some unknown reason. I felt really uncomfortable in this chapter because I feel like Zoey is replacing Cami a lot, which I _really _don't want to happen. At all, I promise. In the next chapter, though, I hope it doesn't seem that way. I hope it doesn't seem that way in this chapter, either, but I felt like it did come across that way. So, I'm sorry. But the plans that I have for Zoey will not be taking Cami's place. And she won't be getting together with Marcel or Klaus any time soon...there's way too much shit that has to happen before she can get to a point of actually feelings something for one of them. **

**Anyways, so enough of that rant. Enjoy the chapter! By the way, if you'd do me a favor and go on my profile after you read this story, I have another poll. It's not for a fan video this time, but it's for the next story that I should publish. Read the A/N at the bottom for instructions because it's a little complicated :) Thanks! **

**Disclaimer: Refer to the first chapter please :)**

* * *

**Tangled Up in the Blue**

"I cannot believe you disposed of those vampires without me," complained Rebekah as she, Klaus, and Zoey stood in the same room, discussing their next move against Marcel. "You know how I _love _to set things on fire."

Klaus smiled. "Was I supposed to leave them in the front yard to rot? Besides, they were my responsibility. They attacked the helpless, pregnant girl who is carrying my child."

Rebekah _tsk_ed sarcastically. "Oh. I am so _moved _by your newfound sense of fatherly duty towards the werewolf carrying your hybrid bun in her oven." But Rebekah's remark only made Klaus laugh as a response.

"Wow, even Original siblings act like real ones. Who knew?" Zoey muttered under her breath. But before anyone could respond to her comment, Hayley walked into the room.

"The werewolf would like to know what the plan is," she said, clutching a book close to her chest.

"Well, that depends what plan you mean, love," Klaus answered cryptically. "My plan for global domination, Zoey's plan for what drink will be on the Special's menu today, or Rebekah's plan to find love in a cruel, cruel world."

Rebekah gave a weak and bitter smile before turning around quickly and throwing a pencil straight at Niklaus, only, Zoey happened to be a few feet in front of him in the line of fire. She ducked right when the pencil flew over her head and straightened to turn around at Klaus, who had caught the pencil right before it pierced his skin. Annoyed, Zoey whipped around at Rebekah.

"What the hell did I ever do to you?" she snapped.

"Nothing." Rebekah shrugged. "Little tip for next time, though, never stand in front of my brother, you never know which enemy's going to try and launch a weapon at him."

"I'll take that under consideration."

Hayley was done with the sidetracking. "The plan to rescue Elijah," she said, frustrated at the three of them. "You know, the good brother? The one who is now in possession of your mortal enemy after you _stabbed him in the back!" _

"In the front, if we're being specific," corrected Klaus.

Hayley ignored him. "You said that you would get him back. So is there a plan or what?"

Klaus sighed and walked over to his desk in the room adjacent to the one they were standing in. As he sat down, he propped his legs up on the desk and played with the pencil Rebekah had thrown. "Okay. Well, firstly, Marcel is not my mortal enemy, he's my friend. Albeit, one who is unaware that I'm trying to sabotage his hold over the supernatural community, but a friend, nonetheless," Klaus rushed out, smiling wide. He inhaled before continuing, "And, secondly, I daggered Elijah in order to gain Marcel's trust. If I had known he would hand him over to a particularly _nasty_ teenage which, I certainly would've weighed my options a bit differently. And thirdly," he gestured towards Rebekah, "sister, please."

"And, thirdly, the plan, as you have demanded, is for Niklaus to simply ask for Elijah back."

"That's…that's not the whole plan, is it?" Hayley asked, unsure. Rebekah laughed.

Rebekah scoffed. "Please. Klaus may be a miserable excuse for a sibling, but there is none more diabolical," she praised, looking over at Klaus. The three girls stared at Klaus while he spoke.

"Well that's only the Plan A, love," Klaus stared, shrugging. "There's always a Plan B."

"And what's Plan B?" Hayley asked, slightly nervous for the answer.

Klaus merely smiled.

"War."

* * *

Rebekah and Zoey both walked down the streets of New Orleans together, carrying out the next part of Klaus's diabolical plan. While Rebekah talked to Klaus on the phone, the two of them crossed the street and arrived at the Voodoo shop, where their target was. Zoey had called Sophie earlier and asked her to meet them, seeing as she was a part of this just as much as they were.

To be honest, Zoey had no idea what she was doing. For the longest time, she'd managed to stay out of the vampire drama in New Orleans. But if there was a word to describe her feelings, it'd probably be curiosity. She'd spent so much time secluding herself to the human side of the city instead of investing in supernatural business. But, she had to say, the scheming was _hard. _Apparently, though her plan _had _worked last night, Rebekah had been taken to wherever Marcel was keeping this secret weapon of his, but her memory had been wiped of the location – rendering the plan mainly useless. Though they found out that his weapon was a witch, what good was that information without a location?

Which was where this part of the plan came in.

When they reached the Voodoo Shop, Rebekah parted her ways with Klaus and sighed, looking down at the phone. "My brother. Always so doubtful." Before they could get a chance to further converse, Zoey's eyes spotted Sophie walking down the street, and Rebekah turned around at the sign. "Ah! So glad you could make it," she exclaimed. "Elijah only lies daggered and rotting whilst you dillydally."

"You're lucky I even came at all," Sophie snapped.

Zoey sighed. "Excuse Rebekah, she's just a _ray _of wonderful sunshine today," she said through her teeth, looking over at Rebekah pointedly. The blonde vampire just shrugged. "Thank you for coming, Sophie."

Sophie nodded and crossed her arms. "So…what do you two want?"

"Hayley was attacked last night by Marcel's crew because somebody told him there was a werewolf in the quarter," Rebekah explained briskly and turned her head. "She only made one stop," said the Original, pointedly looking at the Voodoo Shop. "Whoever saw her here ratted her out. Watch and learn."

Without warning, Rebekah entered the shop, Sophie and Zoey on her tail. For a few moments, the three just stood around in the entrance of the shop, but that's when a certain witch entered the room, smiling when she saw Sophie. "Oh, hey, Soph."

"Hey, Katie," Sophie returned, moving around. Zoey looked around the Voodoo shop, slightly intrigued, but she was only waiting for Rebekah to hurry on with the plan. Katie turned around at Rebekah.

"That's filled with marigold," said the witch, referring to the item that Rebekah was looking at. "Great for attracting the opposite sex. It'll look awesome on you."

Rebekah hesitated. "I very _seriously _doubt that." She walked forward towards Katie, who was unstocking things from a cardboard box. "Do you have any others? Say…I don't know…wolfsbane, perhaps?"

Katie froze for a second, which was clear to Zoey, who was clocking the witch from another angle. Katie only moved to the other side of the counter to set things up. "Wolfsbane? Why would you want that?"

Rebekah looked up at Zoey, who nodded, and when Rebekah flashed to Katie, Zoey flashed to Sophie, making sure that the witch did not move from her place when Rebekah grabbed the younger witch by the throat. "_Please _do not play dumb with me," Rebekah snarled.

"Rebekah!" Sophie shouted, but was restrained by the arm that Zoey pulled back. Rebekah slid the girl down the counter, knocking over countless things. Katie struggled for air as she squealed.

"I just sold the werewolf some herbs, that's all!"

"Are you lying to me, Katie?" Rebekah pushed.

Zoey _tsk_ed at the witch in agreement. "I wouldn't lie to her, Katie, she can_ very_ persuasive."

"I suggest you answer my question honestly," Rebekah finished, but Katie looked over at Sophie for help, breathing out her name pleadingly.

"Just answer the question, Katie, _please_," Sophie begged the witch who refrained from giving any information.

The young witch lay underneath Rebekah's hand, choking for air. Under Sophie's advisement, she finally answered. "Yes, I told someone," she confessed, "but you don't understand. I…I love him."

Rebekah stared down at the witch, and Zoey watched her expression change from menacing to almost sympathetic. Just when the hybrid was about to speak up, the Original removed her hand from the young witch and, breaking more expensive items, slammed her victim on the ground, placing the heel of her shoe just above the witch's throat. "And, tell me, who is this vampire Romeo of yours?" The witch didn't say anything, earning a malicious smile from the blonde-haired vampire. "Shall I count to three?" Katie swallowed. "One…" began Rebekah, lowering her heel closer to her target. "Two…"

"Thierry!" Katie blurted out, afraid of the incoming point that was about to pierce her jugular. "It's…it's Thierry," she said, swallowing down her fear.

"The one with the stupid hats?" Zoey asked, raising her eyebrows in confusion. Who would ever fall in love with _him_? Rebekah smiled down at Katie before removing her heel from the girl's throat.

"You've been a _lot _of help, Katie," the Original said bittersweetly before turning and pulling out her phone, no doubt to call Klaus. Zoey finally let Sophie walk over to Katie to help her up, but Rebekah wanted Sophie outside, so Katie came out with her after helping her up from the ground. The four of them separated outside, Zoey watching Sophie and Katie from a distance and Rebekah on the phone with Klaus. When she was done, she turned and walked over to Zoey.

"What'd he say?" Zoey asked her. Rebekah shrugged.

"He was impressed. No doubt has diabolical wheels spinning in his head right about now," Rebekah quipped, making Zoey laugh just a bit. "He asked us to come back to the house with Sophie for the next part of the plan," she explained.

Zoey shook her head. "I can't," she said, slightly apologetic. "I have a job, _remember_?"

Rebekah rolled her eyes, "_Please." _She looked up to Sophie and Katie, who had been conversing. "Sophie!" she shouted, gaining the witch's attention. Sophie reluctantly obliged Rebekah's call, first telling Katie to get back in the shop.

"Yeah?" Sophie said, somewhat bitterly, when she came up to the two of them.

"Zoey wants the day off."

"No, I don't," Zoey said, her voice rising a pitch. "I don't _want _the day off. I _like _my job, thank you very much."

Rebekah, yet again, rolled her eyes. "Fine. She _needs _the day off." The hybrid knew all to well that Rebekah wouldn't be willing to indulge in an argument, so she stayed quiet.

Sophie crossed her arms and shook her head. "Sorry, Rebekah, but _someone _needs to open the bar. Cami doesn't come in for another three hours," Sophie returned.

"Then postpone the opening," Rebekah challenged, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Zoey sighed and began to intervene.

"Rebekah, look. It's not a problem, just take her back to the house and I'll stay at Rousseau's. If you guys aren't done by the time Cami comes in, I'll hand things over to her and head to you," she compromised. And, after a slight hesitation, Rebekah finally agreed, and they parted ways.

She did as she said she would, going over to Rousseau's and setting up for opening. She opened and she bartended and served food with help from the one or two other staff members. Honestly, she was surprised that Marcel hadn't decided to just…_drop by, _like he normally does. She was actually quite happy that she decided to pawn Cami off to Marcel – though it seemed like a terrible thing to be saying, she was enjoying the free time. Though Marcel made it clear that he wanted her and _not _her cousin, he was still dating Cami without complaints, which was good for the hybrid. The one thing she _wasn't _looking for was a boyfriend, and she intended to keep it that way.

When Cami came in, right around the time she was expected to, Rebekah had already called and said that she was on her way over to Rousseau's. Like she said she would, she came in to the restaurant a while later, with Sophie. As Rebekah took a seat on the bar, Sophie went in the back to begin working.

"And, so, then, I moved back here to be closer to my brothers because – let's face it – family's important, right, Camille?" Rebekah asked one of the two bartenders who were behind the counter beside each other, serving two different people. Camille scoffed.

"Cami," she corrected. "I have to change this nametag. Drunk guys keep hitting on me in French."

Zoey scoffed, too, after she poured a customer's drink and walked closer to her cousin. "Just because you change the nametag won't change the fact that they're still going to hit on you," she pointed out.

Camille merely rolled her eyes. A moment of silence passed as Zoey gave her customer their drink, and that's when Cami spoke again. "Are you sure you haven't been in here before?" the human asked, confused. "Your face looks…_so _familiar."

Rebekah shrugged casually. "You must've seen me out and about." She smiled. "Aren't you dating Marcel Gerard?" Rebekah asked. Cami shifted. "He's a pal of mine," the blonde vampire explained. Zoey hid a smile, but it ultimately failed. "Sort of," Rebekah added.

Cami nodded slightly. "Uh…yeah. I am…kind of," Cami responded.

Rebekah stared at the blonde before her for a moment, and Zoey walked over to take another customer's order on the other side of the bar. When she was gone, Rebekah spoke to Cami. "That's funny. I heard somewhere that he had a crush on the _brunette _bartender, not the blonde one."

Cami looked over at her cousin, who was too preoccupied to listen in on the conversation, not that she wanted to, anyway. When she turned around to Rebekah, she nodded. "He does…or, at least, that's what I figured every time he came around here. I don't know why he suddenly decided to go for me, but…I figured I'd give it a chance." Cami shrugged, though she didn't know that her decision was pushed by the compulsion of her cousin.

Rebekah raised her eyebrows. "Does she like him back?" Rebekah asked, but before the two blondes could continue the conversation, Zoey interrupted them, shooting a knowing smile at Rebekah and then turning to Cami.

"Cami, why don't you go take the table seven's order? I'll handle this," she promised. Cami looked at Rebekah, but then left, knowing that she was due for the break anyway. When the human was gone, Zoey turned to Rebekah. "You know, instead of asking my cousin, you could just ask me. Primary source," she offered.

Rebekah sighed. "Honestly, I thought you'd lie to me if I asked," she admitted. Zoey shook her head.

"I have nothing to lie about. Marcel's an idiot. He's been trying to get me to date him since I got here, but I've always turned him down. If that's not an indication of the fact that I don't like him…" Zoey shrugged. "I have no idea what is." She paused as she cleared up the glasses that sat on the bar. "Why are you so curious, anyway?"

Rebekah thought of the words to say, thinking about whether she'd lie or not. "We used to be…involved," she said truthfully after a while, looking elsewhere before looking at the hybrid. "On again, off again."

Zoey groaned. "Those are the worst. I dated this guy in high school back in Oregon…he couldn't make up his mind! One minute, he wanted to be with the high school cheerleader, the next, he wanted to be with me. And they say _we're _the complicated ones." The brunette shook her head and widened her eyes incredulously, scoffing while she said the statement.

Rebekah inhaled sharply. "I like you," she said suddenly, earning Zoey's eye contact. "Most girls have the unfortunate tendencies of being whiny little twits."

Zoey laughed. "You sound like you have experience," she admitted. Rebekah shrugged. "But thanks, anyways. And, seriously…Marcel? Really, you can do _much _better than him."

"Why do you hate him so much?" Rebekah asked, curious. "Marcel," she clarified at Zoey's prompting expression.

Zoey shrugged. "He's like every single guy I've ever met. Arrogant, conceded, a complete asshole," she listed. "That's not the type of relationship that a girl should be in. It's unhealthy and…it'll cause issues. A lot of them."

"You wouldn't happen to be basing your relationship issues on my brother, would you?" Rebekah inquired. Zoey stared at her, surprised.

"How did you know about me and Klaus?"

Rebekah laughed. "As if it weren't obvious," she returned. To be honest, Zoey was pretty sure that it _wasn't _obvious. "Well, are you going to answer my questions or not?"

Zoey took a while, but she never got to answer. Camille returned from putting in the order into the kitchen with a sigh, interrupting their conversations. "Who knew one person could order so much food?"

Zoey and Rebekah laughed a little at the statement, but then Rebekah spoke clearly to the both of them. "So, look, I'm supposed to go to this…posh charity thing thrown by this philanthropist tonight. He's a bit of a Gatsby. Throws a mean party." She looked back and forth at the two. "Any interest?"

"Sure," Cami shrugged, nodding. "I'll go," she agreed, but then walked behind Zoey to the couple that just walked in. Rebekah then looked at Zoey, prompting.

"This…_Gatsby _wouldn't happen to be Klaus, would it?"

Rebekah shook her head. "No, of course not."

"Marcel?" Rebekah only smiled. "Were you sent here to invite me to this thing or something? Because parties aren't my scene," she admitted.

Rebekah took a sip out of her drink. "Quite the contrary," she admitted, smiling at the hybrid. Zoey looked at her, raising an eyebrow, suspicious. "Klaus told me specifically _not_ to invite you."

* * *

Rebekah and Klaus, arm in arm, walked into the booming charity gala, humans and vampires dispersing from every direction. The whole party was somewhat like a circus show – with dancers on silk ribbons near the top of Marcel's quarter, professionals doing tricks on the ground surrounding the crowd of people, and confetti streaming from the ceiling. Almost everyone in the facility kept their masks on their faces, but the masks were not required to keep on at all times. And the two Originals didn't have their masks on, though Klaus held his in his hand and Rebekah's was simply a black net that covered one side of her face. Elegance was one of the most outstanding qualities the Originals carried.

"Well, this certainly is a fitting backdrop for tonight's event, I must say," Klaus admitted to his sister with a sinister smile playing on his lips. Rebekah said nothing in return, but only glanced in the direction that she knew the two people she invited would be coming through. Klaus looked around for an extra moment until he spotted the very person he had tried to keep out of tonight's entanglement.

"Rebekah wasn't lying," Cami said, looking around at the festivities taking place around Marcel's house. "This _is _like a Gatsby party."

While Zoey fidgeted with the one left shoulder strap on her evening dress, she responded with a slight scoff. "Sometimes I wish I was born in that century," Zoey admitted, finally situating the strap that had been bothering her. The dress she wore, the bright crimson dress with a two-foot slit on the side of her dress, was not a dress of her picking. Cami had picked it out for her when they went to find an outfit for the blonde. Zoey had been perfectly content on wearing her one formal dress that she kept in case of emergencies, but Cami decided that the dress wasn't good enough.

"What's she doing here?" Klaus hissed to his sister as he kept his eyes peeled on the two cousins, though he really wasn't bothered by the presence of one. Rebekah leaned towards Klaus to respond.

"You said you wanted Marcel to be distracted," she offered. "What better way to do that than bring both his new girlfriend and the girl who has so hopelessly rejected him over and over again?"

"I told you not to bring her," Klaus said sternly, but knew that there was nothing to do about it now.

Rebekah shrugged, knowing the exact same thing. "You were the one who brought her into this. She deserves to be a part of all of it, don't you think?"

But leaving Klaus to ponder over the question, Rebekah slipped out of his grasp and walked towards Cami and Zoey, giving them both smiles.

"Rebekah," Cami greeted gently, giving her a soft grin.

"You two look precious," Rebekah praised, running her eyes over Zoey's dress. "That's quite a dress," she commented.

Zoey frowned and pointed at her cousin. "Blame her," she said simply, which earned a shake of the head from Camille. Whilst the three girls spoke, Marcel, who was up on the second level of his home, turned his head to look out into the crowd, and that's when he spotted them – Cami, Zoey, and Rebekah.

"This party is…_ridiculous_," Cami spoke honestly, looking around. She spoke some more while Zoey glanced around at the multiple displays of snake holders, sky dancers, hula hoopers…it was all so unnecessary. This is why she had never gone to any of Marcel's parties if he asked. "Who is this?"

"I'm the brother." Klaus's words caught Zoey's attention, and she looked down from the top of the building to face Klaus before her, glancing at his sister once and then Cami, and then Zoey. Quickly, he removed is eyes from the hybrid to look at Camille. "And my sister is right. You look stunning." Again, he looked at the hybrid before him. "As do you," he added.

Zoey ran her eyes over his outfit, glancing at the suit he was dressed in. "You don't look too bad, yourself," she said, shaking her head once. Her expression wasn't a smile, it was more of a hard line – not an angry one, but one that was trying to hold back a smile.

Klaus didn't do such a thing. He laughed and held up his mask. "Don't be fooled, love. I'm the devil in disguise."

"You three chitchat," Rebekah sighed, looking over to the open bar. "I need booze." And, with that being said, she left the three of them. Klaus's eyes remained on Zoey, and though his magnetic force was strong, she managed to tear her eyes away to look at Cami, but the blonde spoke before her.

"I'm going to see if I can find someone I know. Maybe Marcel," she suggested, taking off in the other direction.

"But—" Camille was gone before Zoey could get the next word out of her mouth. With a sigh, she looked back at Klaus. "Would you stop staring? It's creepy."

"I can't help it." Klaus laughed. "I've never seen you all…formal before."

"And it's a sight you'll never see again," she assured him. Klaus chuckled again, hanging his head for the slightest moment.

"Which is why I intend to savor it," he told her with a devilish smirk, earning the hybrid to roll her eyes slightly. Eventually, he spoke again. "Dance with me," he suggested, holding out his hand.

Zoey frowned at him. "_Dance _with you?" she asked, which earned a nod as a response. "Since when do you dance?"

"Since when do you go out looking like _that_?" he returned seriously, challenging her question. Zoey scoffed in the slightest and looked around, trying to avoid his eye contact, but everything inside of her pulled her eyes back to his to, of course, find him gazing. Eventually, she groaned.

"Fine," she agreed, fitting her hand in his. Klaus smiled and pulled her out to the dance floor with him with the other people who swayed back and forth. Slightly hesitant, he pulled her towards him and began the dance, which was silent until she spoke. "So would you like to tell me why you told Rebekah not to invite me here tonight?"

Klaus shrugged. "No, but I'm fairly certain you'll keep pushing if I don't." Zoey scowled at him, which made him sigh. "Tonight will be…eventful. I intended to keep you out of it, but my sister seems to have decided that it would be a better distraction for Marcel if you are."

"But you were the one who brought me into all of this," she argued pointedly. "Don't you think I deserve a little more involvement?"

Klaus set his mouth into a hard line. "Your involvement wasn't meant to put you in danger, which Rebekah did when she invited you and your cousin tonight."

Zoey looked around the crowd, scoffing. "How is it that you manage to be so _irritating _every time I talk to you?" she said through her teeth.

The Original chuckled. "You never used to think I was irritating before," he countered.

"That's because I was _sired _to you," Zoey shot, giving him a look. Klaus gave a slight snicker before he raised his arm so she spun around under it. When he pulled her back to him, Klaus dipped them to the side, lowering her and pulling her back up gracefully, yet tantalizingly slow. Before the dance could continue, someone cleared their throat, and Zoey pulled away from Klaus hesitantly to turn around. When she realized who it was, her eyes involuntarily rolled themselves along the room. "_You_," she scoffed without looking at the vampire.

"Nice to see you, too, Zoe," Marcel greeted with a small smile. Klaus cleared his throat from behind the hybrid.

"Excuse me," he said after a moment, and then turned to leave, disappearing in the crowd. Zoey sighed and turned back to Marcel, who was staring at her. She wanted to grunt at the amount of attention she was getting – she _told _Camille that it was a bad idea to wear the dress that she had picked out. It was like she was a freaking _beacon. _First Klaus, now Marcel.

"I think I should go, too. Nice chat, Marcel." Zoey gave him a bitter smile and began to leave, but he caught her arm before she could go anywhere.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," he said, stopping her from leaving. She turned around, biting her cheek. "Come on, dance with me."

Zoey made an annoyed sound. "I've had enough dancing for the night," she returned. "Besides, you should be dancing with Cami." She gave him another smile and braced to leave, but he stopped her again. She was growing more impatient by the minute.

"Cami's talking with Rebekah," Marcel said. "I'm all yours."

"I don't know how much clearer I could get, Marcel, but let's try this. Find _another_ dance partner." She released herself from his grasp and turned around, but his words stopped her.

"So you'll dance with Klaus and not with me?" Zoey gulped at the words. _Oh, crap, _the hybrid thought. _The favorites card. _"That's hardly fair."

Zoey turned around, sighing, which earned a smile from Marcel. "Fine, you want to dance, let's dance." He held out his hand for her, and she took it. "But, I'm forewarning you, Klaus and I only danced for about a minute and a half. Any more with you and that wouldn't be fair, would it?" she shot, giving him a sour smile.

Marcel chuckled. "Got it," he promised, and she exhaled in response. "So, you and Klaus…" the vampire began, earning an irritated look from the hybrid that he danced with.

Zoey groaned. "_Please _don't tell me you're about to get jealous. Because, first of all, there's nothing going on between me and Klaus, and second of all, even if there was something going on, you don't have a right to get jealous. You're dating my cousin," she pointed out.

Marcel made a knowing sound. "What about you? You sound jealous."

Zoey began to laugh, but it wasn't forced. It was uncontrollable laughter, and eventually, she removed her hand from Marcel's shoulder and covered her mouth with her hand. When she settled, she sighed. "Sorry…that was just…_really _funny."

Marcel looked around before looking down at her again. "One day you're going to realize the mistake you made."

Zoey stared at him for the longest time, no longer laughing, but that's when Diego decided to interrupt the two of them, but for good cause. Diego whispered something so low that, over the heaps of music playing over the stereo, Zoey was unable to hear. Zoey desperately looked around, confused over her own head, and that's when she spotted Klaus, Rebekah and Cami. Rebekah left the two of them, and Cami was looking in the direction that Marcel was. But Klaus's eyes settled on her, and she quickly averted them to find Marcel turning around at her, reluctantly.

"Excuse me," he said after a moment, giving her a slight, diplomatic smile. She watched as Marcel sauntered over to Thierry, who was waiting for him at the door. _Uh oh, _thought the hybrid. _What happened now? _But what happened next shocked her just in the slightest, but not enough to knock all the wind out of her. Obviously, Thierry did something wrong. Marcel pinned the helpless vampire to the nearest wall by the throat, only to be stopped and pulled away by Diego. Zoey turned her head to see Cami and Klaus, Klaus looking in Marcel's direction and Cami frozen still. From her position, Zoey could see Klaus turn his head to Cami and talk, but like before, she couldn't hear anything over the music. Just as the cousin contemplated going over to Camille and seeing if everything was okay, Cami ended up walking away from Klaus and over to her.

"Is everything okay?" Zoey asked, walking forward to meet Cami halfway.

The blonde sighed. "Yeah, I'm fine, just…can we just go home?" she asked, exasperated. Though her exasperation was clear, there was a bit of annoyance and sadness to her tone. Zoey flickered her eyes up to see Klaus, who stood there staring at the both of them, and eventually Zoey returned her gaze to her cousin and nodded.

"Sure," she agreed and jerked her head in the other direction. "Come on."

And they left, not knowing that the party was just about to begin.

* * *

Klaus and Marcel both stood on the second level inside balcony overlooking the center of the house, drinking over the long night that they experienced. Katie was dead and Klaus knew that Marcel was in debt to him for saving his life. Though he didn't disclose his full plan to anyone, he knew that it was going to work. Marcel was too moral to not give him what he wanted after saving his life.

"How much did Zoey see?" asked Marcel after he drained the content of alcohol in his glass.

Klaus looked over at him. "You're more worried about how Zoey is going to act than Cami?" the Original asked, his voice serious. Marcel just stared, saying nothing. Klaus eventually sighed. "The two of them are fine. All they saw was the argument. Nothing you can't fix," the hybrid assured, turning back to look over the center of the home. Marcel sighed and leaned over the ledge, and things were quiet until Klaus spoke again. "You really like her, don't you?"

Though the question could've been misinterpreted, Marcel knew exactly who Klaus was talking about. "I like that she's determined to stay out of all this." Little did he know, that wasn't the case anymore. "What about you?" he moved on, turning his head to face Klaus.

Klaus snickered. "It doesn't matter if I do or don't," he responded truthfully, clapping his hands together whilst shrugging. "Zoey does what she wants to do, and that's that. I learned that the hard way."

"You never told me what happened with you two," Marcel began, fishing for information.

Klaus sighed, but only gave the shortened version of their time spent together. "I turned her into a vampire. She became sired to me, I left her behind so it would break."

"And did it?"

Klaus scoffed. "If it didn't, she wouldn't hate me, which she does," Klaus replied. "It's a popular trend with her, you know."

Marcel chuckled bitterly. "Oh, believe me. _I know_."

"She'll come around," Klaus assured him, but he had no idea if it were true or not. That and the fact that he wasn't sure he wanted it to be. "And Cami? If you really do like Zoey, why would you date her cousin?"

"Cami's…sweet…and smart…and funny," he listed. "She's…different." Marcel paused. "Sometimes, it's good to see the world the way that humans do," Marcel told him, looking over at the hybrid, who fell silent at the words.

At last, Klaus spoke. "I am sorry about Thierry, you know," Klaus apologized, though it was his doing that put the vampire in the garden. "I can tell he was a good friend."

Marcel exhaled. "I made him what he was. Obviously, my trust was misplaced."

"Doesn't make it easier," Klaus said quickly, which earned silence from the both of them. The hybrid turned to his drink and sipped, and that's when Marcel straightened to speak.

"You saved me tonight," Marcel began, and Klaus awaited the reward in which he expected to get. "I guess I owe you one." The vampire paused, choosing his words carefully. "You asked for your brother back…seems like the least I can do."

Klaus looked at Marcel, knowing that his diabolical plans would never fail him; no matter who they hurt in the process.

* * *

**What do you think? I'm sorry if the chapter was shitty, I told you, I had a lot of problems with it. **

**On my profile, at the bottom, I have the list "Stories to Watch Out For" numbered 1 through 5. When you vote on the poll, it lists the numbers of the stories (randomized by FanFiction so it's a little confusing). So vote for the number that you want to see get published the most. Sorry, it's a little complicated, but I figured it was better than putting the summary of each new story in the choices. **

**So...yeah! If you could do that, that would be awesome! Thank you! And please review if you can :) **

**_Love, _  
**

**_BellaSalvatore1918_**

**_X_**


	4. Girl In New Orleans

**Hi, guys! So, it's like 8:00 already and TO is on, but I had to update this chapter ASAP because I've been working on it all day. But since the new episode is on right now, I'm just going to make this author's note short and quick so...here's the chapter! **

**Enjoy :) **

**Disclaimer: Refer to the first chapter please :)**

* * *

**Girl In New Orleans**

"Over the course of my life, I have encountered no shortage of those who have presumed to speak of good and evil."

Marcel walked through the pathway between pews of the abandoned church, stepping over the ruins of the old church on his way to the attic.

"Such terms mean nothing."

Davina studied the Original in the coffin sitting next to her, and with her endless curiosity, she reached forward and pulled the dagger out of Elijah and examined it.

"People do what is in their best interest, regardless of who gets hurt."

And, as Marcel walked into the room to see Davina holding the dagger in her hand, she swiftly raised the dagger in her hand again and plunged it back into Elijah's desiccated heart.

"Is it evil to take what one wants?" Klaus asked rhetorically whilst staring at his painting on the wall. "To satisfy hunger, even if doing so will cause another suffering. What some would call evil, I believe to be an appropriate response to a harsh and unfair world."

Behind him, Camille spoke, "No offense, but I'm not sure I follow why you've invited me here."

Klaus spun around to face the blonde human. "I've heard from your cousin that you're quite the rising psychologist." He smiled lightly. "And I sense you have the capacity for understanding someone of my…_complexity_," he explained.

Moving towards the blonde, he continued, "You see, I returned to New Orleans to investigate a threat posed against me. What I found was a young woman, pregnant, in need of protection. My brother, always the do-gooder, tried to _manipulate _me into helping her. He thought it might redeem me."

Brushing past Cami, he continued his speech, "Trouble is, I've since learned of another young woman. A girl, really. One with _vast _potential. Held in captivity by a tyrant." Klaus spun around. "I want to help both of these woman. Protect one"—Klaus held up his hand for effect—"and free the other." He walked forward. "So, tell me, Cami. Does that sound evil to you?"

Cami looked into Klaus's enticing blue eyes and opened her mouth, debating her words before she spoke. "Haven't you been spending a lot of time with my cousin?" she blurted out, confused. Klaus stood unmoving. "It seems like she'd be more of a use to you than I would," she confessed.

Klaus stared at the curious human before him, thinking of what to say before he said it. "There are things that Zoey does not need to know about," he said simply before moving on. "Now, tell me, Cami, do my plans sound evil to you?"

Cami sighed. "I don't believe in evil as a diagnosis," she informed him. "I think you have unstable personal relationships, stress-related paranoia, chronic anger issues, fear of abandonment," Cami listed. With a smile, she added, "I think you could benefit from talking to someone…_professionally_."

"I prefer not to divulge my secrets to the first stranger I meet," Klaus told her while walking over to his desk and sitting down in the chair. "Which is why I'm offering you a job. As my…_stenographer_."

"Okay," Cami agreed hesitantly. "What are we writing?"

"My memoirs, of course," said Klaus with a smug smile on his face. "Someone should know my story. And," he added lightly, "it will give us time to discuss other riveting subjects. Like your handsome suitor, Marcel," Klaus suggested.

"Excuse me," Cami protested. "My private life is—"

"Your private life is, as it turns out, _essential _to my plans," Klaus interrupted her promptly, confusing the blonde human in the room with him. "You see, Marcel wants your cousin very much, but…" Klaus let out a laugh. "Being the person that she is, Zoey insisted upon letting another take her problem from her hands—you," Klaus explained. "And, because of the rejection Marcel must've been sinking in, he took her offer and has so willingly decided to pursue you, instead. Which means that he will trust you…" Klaus trailed off and flickered his eyes up at Camille. "Which serves me," he added.

Silence passed between the two, and seeing Cami's confused and ready-to-question expression, Klaus abruptly stood up from his chair and walked past her, speaking, "The thing is, the French Quarter is on the verge of war. On the one side, there's…me"—Klaus held up his hand again as representation and did the same with his other on the other side—"and on the other, Marcel. Along with a _very _powerful witch and an army of vampires."

Cami, who had no clue about the supernatural, widened her eyes, "What?" she demanded, but Klaus didn't give her much time to insist answers. He flitted over to the human and grabbed her face, looking into her pure eyes and beginning the compulsion.

"You're frightened," he observed. "Don't be."

And then he released her face, slowly, and Camille looked at him with confusion. "I'm not scared anymore," she told him, earning a small victorious smile from Klaus. "That's…_amazing_. How did you—?"

"It's called compulsion," Klaus answered. "It's a neat bit of vampire trickery, I'll tell you all about it." He brushed past her and returned back to his chair in the adjoining room. "But first, let's talk a little more about Marcel."

* * *

Zoey flipped the sign on the front of Rousseau's to expose the _Open _side rather than the _Closed _one, signaling the start of the workday. Because she didn't expect customers to come fleeting in right when she turned the sign, after she flipped it, she turned back to the tables in the restaurant and began putting down the chairs and cleaning them, readying the establishment for the customers. After she finished the last table in the corner of the business, she heard the bell at the door and turned around, though it was definitely not who she expected.

Zoey sighed and gave Marcel a false smile. "Wow, you're starting early today, Marcel. I didn't expect your annoying to begin until at _least _noon," she quipped, brushing past the vampire to the other side of the restaurant.

Marcel slightly laughed. "Yeah, well, I have a favor to ask."

Without turning to look at him, Zoey spoke, "Since when did I give you the impression that I'd be happy to do a favor for you?"

She turned around to move to another table, but Marcel was right in front of her, too close for Zoey to be comfortable. She didn't resist the urge to roll her eyes at Marcel's desperation, but he was enjoying their proximity, tilting his head in approval. "Since you and I both know that you enjoyed dancing with me yesterday," he offered.

At this, Zoey scoffed and brushed past Marcel without a second glance. "Right. The two-second dance! You _definitely _set the record for the most intense dance _I've _ever had." She shook her head, rolling her eyes even though Marcel couldn't see.

"Look," Marcel said, walking over to her as she set the chairs down from one of the last tables she had to clear. "It's not really a favor for me, it's for this girl I'm mentoring. It doesn't require seeing me at all," he promised. She sighed as she pushed the chair she'd taken down under the table. "I mean, unless you'd like to, I'd never deny you of that—"

"Don't push it," she warned, pointing at him accusingly. Marcel's lips twitched into a bit of a smile. "All right, what is the favor?"

"I need you to take a friend of mine to the Dauphine Street music festival," Marcel told her.

Zoey frowned. "I wanted to _work _the festival, not _attend,_" she complained.

Marcel scoffed. "Oh, _come on_. You deserve _one _night off. You always bartend for me," he teased. She frowned at him, crossing her arms in a defensive stance.

"And you can't take her yourself…_why?" _

"Because my friend doesn't want me to hover." Marcel sighed. Zoey just stared at him, saying nothing. "Come on, Zoe. It's just one night. Ask Cami to help you, I'm sure she wouldn't mind," he offered. Zoey gave a reluctant sigh, and Marcel spoke again before she could reject his offer, "You'll love her, Zoe. Promise. She's a really sweet girl. Been having some issues with rebellion, but she'll make it through. She's young."

Zoey thought about what Marcel was asking her – thought about what he had just said. A friend of his…sweet, teenage girl…

_No, _Zoey thought, resisting the urge to incredulously laugh aloud. _He didn't just ask me to look after…Davina tonight, did he? _

"I'll do it," Zoey said immediately, without a single hesitation in mind. She gave him a smile. "Why not? It's the least I can do for my cousin's boyfriend, right?"

Marcel gave a light smile. "Thank you," he said, his tone sincere. She nodded curtly.

"Yep," she replied and brushed past him. "Oh, and Marcel?" Marcel turned around at her and gave a sign of his undivided attention. "Do _not _take this as an invitation to start asking me favors all the time," she warned before disappearing into the kitchen, leaving Marcel to himself. Once alone, hearing Marcel leave, Zoey took out her cell phone and created a new text message to Klaus.

_Come to Rousseau's. Now. _

But, of course, Klaus being Klaus, thought "now" meant two hours after she sent the text message – after Cami arrived for her shift and solid customers came in and out of the restaurant. Zoey asked Cami to help her with taking care of Davina, like Marcel had suggested, only because she didn't really want to be alone in the scheme. But, being the smart girl that she was, Camille declined Zoey's offer, giving Zoey slight satisfaction and disappointment. On one hand, getting her cousin involved in the things that go bump in the night was definitely not ideal, but on the other, who did she have to talk to about all of this? Rebekah? Hayley? That wasn't her world, she never intended for it to _be _her world.

But she was tough – she could do it on her own.

"It took you long enough," Zoey mumbled under her breath, fully aware that he could hear, as Klaus approached the street corner that Rousseau's sat on. "I was beginning to wonder if your phone fell in the toilet or something." She shot him a smile.

Klaus laughed. "Ah, well, I've been quite busy."

She raised her eyebrows. "Doing what?"

"Nothing of your concern," Klaus returned with a nonchalant shrug. Zoey opened her mouth to protest, but Klaus took her words and spoke again. "What is it that you needed to see me for?"

The hybrid sighed. "Marcel dropped by earlier," she informed him. "Wants me to take this girl he's 'mentoring' to the Dauphine Street music festival tonight. Issues with rebellion…young, teenage girl…sound familiar?"

Klaus shifted, realizing. "Davina," he concluded. Zoey nodded.

"Most likely," she agreed. "He asked me and Cami to look after her tonight, but Cami said she doesn't want to, so I guess I'll have to do it myself." Zoey shrugged carelessly. "So what do you want to do about this?"

Klaus looked inside of Rousseau's to see Cami clearing off tables inside. "I'll figure it out," Klaus promised, returning his eyes back to the hybrid in front of them. "For now, just return to your day job." He smiled.

"You're seriously not going to tell me the plan?" she asked, dumbfounded.

"How can I tell you about a plan that I don't have yet, love?"

"You _always _have a plan!" Zoey scoffed accusingly. "Come on, Klaus, just tell me. I'm helping, aren't I?"

Klaus sighed and looked into Zoey's insatiable eyes. "Look," he began slowly, his voice hushed, "I _don't _have the entire plan set out yet," Zoey began to open he mouth in protest, but Klaus stepped forward, silencing her, "_but_, I am trying to get Davina to join our side instead of Marcel's," he explained, needing no other methods of silencing for Zoey to keep her mouth shut. "I will be at the music festival tonight as well, when I get a plan, I'll tell you from there," he promised. "All right?"

Zoey, who did not want to admit her weakness, hardened her words. "Fine," she returned, slightly icy, before looking up into Klaus's eyes and eventually walking back into Rousseau's to continue her day job, as Klaus had put it.

Klaus watched as the hybrid went inside and continued working, but he could see Camille's eyes wander over to him in confusion. Careful not to attract Zoey's attention, Klaus beckoned Camille out of the restaurant, and the human complied.

Once outside, Klaus brought them further down the street so Zoey wouldn't be able to hear them with their voices so low. "How is it that when you come up to me now, and no one else is around, I suddenly remember that you're a vampire and you're _mind controlling _me?" Camille whispered harshly. "And then you leave, and I go back to thinking that you're just some hot guy friend of my cousin's with a cute accent and money to burn on your sprouting memoir?"

Klaus smiled, resisting the urge to laugh. "Well, _that's _how compulsion works, love."

"Yeah, but what's happening?" Cami pushed. "Is it hypnosis? Are my neurons being shut down somehow?"

"You're always the curious scholar," Klaus noted. "But, despite what you may believe, I didn't come here on a social visit. Let's talk about Marcel," he suggested. "Zoey tells me that she's invited you to look after a troubled young girl as a favor to Marcel?"

Cami nodded. "But I said no," she informed.

Klaus looked around at the citizens of New Orleans. "I'm going to go ahead and insist you change your answer to yes," he told her, bringing his eyes down to look into the human's.

Cami suddenly realized what was going to happen. "You're going to force me to do this, aren't you?" she accused the hybrid. Klaus inhaled, but his expression gave away everything. Cami scoffed. "Why even bother with politeness?" she snapped sarcastically.

"I do not have the luxury of passing up tonight's opportunity," Klaus snapped back. "You see, in addition to being Marcel's rather _potent _secret weapon, this girl, Davina, is holding my brother captive." Cami looked up at Klaus with slight sympathy, which Niklaus Mikaelson would not take. "In other words…" He gripped Cami's shoulders and bent down to level with her eyes. "The girl needs your help. Go back to Rousseau's and tell Zoey that you'll be happy to accompany her tonight." Cami was silent as the compulsion took his affect. "Now leave," Klaus ordered her, and the second he released her shoulders, Cami walked in the opposite direction—back to Rousseau's to tell her cousin her new answer.

* * *

"Thank you," Zoey chimed as she grabbed the drink from the on-the-job bartender at Rousseau's that evening. To be honest, she didn't like the feeling of being in front of the bar rather than behind it, but she would have to accept it. Unlike Cami, Zoey's shift ended an hour ago, while Cami was still finishing hers.

"See," Cami pointed out as Zoey drank from the beer bottle. "Doesn't it feel good to finally _accept _the drink then _give _it?"

Zoey peered up at her cousin. "Being a bartender is fun," she pointed out. "It's my _job_."

Cami sighed. "I just think you could do so much more with your life," she confessed. Zoey laughed, not growing annoyed by the conversation, but rather intrigued.

"And what would that be? Going to college for four years and wasting my life away at some desk job that I hate?" she countered. Cami shrugged. "Bartending is what I like to do." Zoey cocked a grin. "Analyzing people's psychotic minds are what _you _like to do, and I'd prefer you _not _to do it on me but…we don't see that happening any time in the near future, do we?"

Cami opened her mouth to protest, but eventually admitted defeat and they listened to the music that blasted from the stage in the restaurant. It wasn't long before Marcel arrived with a young girl, like he said he would, and Zoey knew, just from a glance at the girl by his side, that it was Davina. Davina had long, dark-colored hair much like Zoey's, and was wearing a simple white dress that made her look innocent and pure.

But on the inside, as Zoey knew, was a witch more powerful than anyone in New Orleans.

"Ladies," Marcel greeted, walking up to Cami and Zoey with Davina by his side. But Davina wasn't looking at Zoey and Camille, she was looking over at the music, a wide smile on her face out of sheer joy. "This is Davina," he introduced, confirming Zoey's suspicious. The introduction earned Davina's attention and the young witch turned to the cousins. "Davina, this is Zoey and Cami."

"It's so nice to meet you Davina," Cami said, grinning slightly. Marcel smiled at the gesture, and so did Davina.

"You, too," she said politely, but Zoey could tell that the young teenager was annoyed by Marcel's presence. _You and me both, _Zoey thought sourly.

"Hey, Marcel," Zoey said, looking over at the vampire, whose attention was caught by her words. "Didn't you say something about me doing this because you weren't going to hover?" She shot him a smile. Davina looked at Marcel in pure agreement, giving him a sweet smile as well.

Marcel laughed. "Right," he agreed, nodding his hand before looking at Zoey and then at Cami. "Cami, do you want a drink?"

"Sure," she agreed, leaving with Marcel to go to the other side of the bar and get a drink. When they left to get their drink, Davina and Zoey both watched the musicians on stage play until they finally ended and a new band came on. Zoey observed Davina beside her, watching as the young girl's expression turned into a wider smile and her heart began to race – in the good way. Zoey's eyes flickered up to the band, but almost every member of it was older than thirty—except for one. The band shortly began to play, mixing string instruments together to create an upbeat rhythm. Everyone in Rousseau's was dancing, and the teenage boy on stage was having fun with it, as well, which only made Davina happier by the minute.

And, by accident, really, Zoey let her eyes slip into a different direction, and she saw Klaus hiding in the sea of people. He knew where she was, he was looking right at her. But she made sure not to divulge in the sight, and she tore her eyes and went back to focusing on the music that she was here for.

Davina turned around suddenly and spoke to Marcel and Cami, "You know, he was supposed to stop hovering like _ten _minutes ago," she taunted.

Marcel laughed. "You see what I mean?" he said to Cami. "Authority issues." Davina rolled her eyes, but chuckled under her breath. "But, come on, I mean…Zoey has been waiting for me to show up this entire day."

Zoey turned around at the mention of her name, first confused, but then recalling Marcel's words. With a bitter smile, she pointed out, "Hey, Marcel, I remember you saying something this morning about me not having to see your face this entire night, so...why do I still see it?"

Davina snorted. "Ouch," she teased Marcel.

Marcel chuckled at Zoey's quip before sighing. "Wow. _Two _ladies with authority issues." He got up from his chair and spoke, "I'll just go talk to the mayor. He actually knows how to show some respect." Zoey just gave him another sour smile and watched as Marcel left.

When she turned back around to face the band that played, she could see Davina's happy expression once again.

"I'm gonna go…you know, do my job," Cami said with a widened expression.

"Yeah, that'd be nice," Zoey laughed as her cousin walked away to wipe down a couple tables before her shift ended. With Cami gone and Marcel dropping out of her hearing range, she knew it was safe. "All right, come on," Zoey prompted the young witch. "What's his name?"

Davina looked up at Zoey. "What?"

Zoey sighed, crossing her arms and looking up at the band members. "Center stage…teenage boy in a plaid shirt…plays the fiddle like a madman," she prompted.

"Tim," Davina answered shyly.

"Ah, _Tim_," Zoey approved. "So…I'm guessing this was…_totally _just an accidental meeting that has something to do with fate, right?" She smirked.

Davina gave a caught smile. "I knew he'd be here. He always performs at these kinds of things."

"How long have you been in love with him?" she questioned coyly. Davina couldn't help the faint blush that crept onto her cheeks.

"Since I met him," she replied simply. "We were ten," Davina clarified, earning a nod from Zoey. "I had to leave school…and I didn't get to say goodbye. So, I was just hoping to talk to him tonight," she admitted. _Had to leave school, _Zoey repeated. This was _definitely _the witch that Klaus wanted.

And, hearing that story, Zoey shut her mouth and let Davina have the last few moments of Tim's song, where everyone erupted in cheers for them afterwards.

After a few more songs played by them, the band finally got off stage. Cami's shift ended and Davina was waiting for the perfect time to talk to Tim, who she had confessed to Cami about as well.

"He couldn't have gone far," Cami said, bewildered, as the three of them looked around for Tim in the crowd of people at Rousseau's. "He just got off stage a minute ago."

Davina sighed, disheartened. "It doesn't matter, this was a _stupid _idea, anyway."

"Oh, come on," Zoey tried, looking around. "He's got to show up somewhere."

"Just forget it," Davina said, walking off in another direction.

"Davina," Cami complained after the small girl, but Davina was already angrily storming away. "I'll handle it," Cami promised Zoey before setting after Davina to talk to her. Zoey watched the two leave, and meanwhile, she searched the crowd—but not for Tim. He _was _just here a second ago, but now he wasn't. Which could only mean one thing…

"Tell her this is from one of the musicians," Klaus whispered in her ear, handing Zoey a napkin with a light touch. "She'll want to leave. Help her slip out the back exit so Marcel doesn't see. _Don't _let her out of your sight," Klaus warned.

"What about Cami?" Zoey asked, keeping her head straight, but she could clearly feel Klaus's breath on her neck.

"Take her with you," Klaus suggested. "She shouldn't have any objections, anyway. Tell her to wait outside of it," he added.

Zoey unfolded the napkin in her hand to see the note that had been written. _Meet me at St. Anne's Church _was all it said. "This is it?" she inquired, her voice low, but she couldn't feel anyone behind her now. She turned around to see Klaus, but instead, he was gone, and she was left to chase after Davina and Cami and continue the plan.

* * *

"Wait here," Zoey told Cami outside of St. Anne's Church. Though reluctant to do so, Cami nodded and Zoey took Davina inside of the church, where, sure enough, Tim was waiting for her in one of the pews. Davina, her heart racing rapidly, turned to Zoey.

"I can't do this," she whispered, terrified.

"Yes, you can," Zoey said, resisting the urge to laugh at the ridiculous thing called _teenage love_. Though it might've seemed hard to admit your love for someone as a teenager, the challenge only worsened as an adult. The best way to get over that challenge was to face it head-on.

Davina just needed a little push, so Zoey gave it to her. And, it worked. Davina began to speak to the human, and Zoey gave them their privacy by stepping to the back corner of the church and examining its ruins.

Outside, Cami waited, looking at the church with wretched eyes, thinking about what this place had caused her. But, seemingly out of nowhere, Klaus turned up in the night and she jumped at the scare.

"Sorry," Klaus apologized, but his tone wasn't all that apologetic. Cami, who began to remember at the sight of him, sighed and went back to looking at the church with her pained pupils, thinking over the events of the last day. Vampires…witches…Klaus's compulsion. Everything had begun to spiral all in a day.

"I know what you are," Cami said abruptly, turning her head to Klaus. "It's crazy to me, but at least it makes sense." She paused. "But…this…_massacre, _it's just a pointless, brutal thing." Cami turned her head to face Klaus, and she asked seriously, "In your life, have you ever heard of anything like that? A good man, an aspiring priest, just goes on a killing spree out of _nowhere_." Klaus was silent. "The guy who did this…he didn't drink, he didn't do drugs. There were no signs."

"You're well informed on the matter?" Klaus asked.

Cami was silent for the longest time, but Klaus waited for her answer. "He was my brother," she said simply, looking at the church. "My twin, actually."

Klaus stared at her before speaking, "We all must stand along against our demons," he whispered.

Cami turned her head to face him. "What if, some day, his demons become mine, too?" she questioned, on the verge of tears. "I mean, I can't sleep, I can't…I can't _dream _without dreaming about him. What am I supposed to do?"

He wanted to answer her, but, inside of the church, Klaus picked up on a fiddle that began to play, and he realized that it was almost time. "I have some business that I have to attend to," he said, reverting from the topic at hand. He looked back at Cami and focused in on her eyes. "So go back to the festival. Enjoy the music. Put this out of your mind."

And, with nothing more, Cami left, and Klaus went inside of the church with elegance and stealth, careful not to disrupt the two teenagers that were standing by the front of the church. Klaus's eyes scanned the establishment before spotting the hybrid that was standing towards the back corner, tracing the lines of blood that coated the walls of the ruined church.

"The boy has a gift," Klaus said when he walked over to her. Zoey turned around to face him, her hand still on the wall. "You can't compel someone to play like that."

"I always wished I had a musical talent like that," Zoey admitted, sighing while sitting down in one of the pews. "The closest I ever got was learning how to play the glasses like that one Sandra Bullock movie. Even then, I sucked." Klaus laughed. "But we both know that you play the piano."

Klaus walked over and sat down beside Zoey, sighing. "Yes, we do. Not that I play it much, but you knew that."

Zoey half scoffed, half laughed before biting the nail of her thumb, trying to avoid Klaus's gaze. Everything went silent for a while, the music of the fiddle the only thing in their ears. That was, until Zoey broke the silence, "Did you read about what happened here?" she asked him.

Klaus nodded. "The massacring of innocent people by the hands of a mentally ill aspiring priest," Klaus filled in. "Yes, I read about it."

"It's how I found Cami," Zoey told him, looking around the church. He looked over at her, listening as she explained the story. "I told you, I'd been looking for any family that I had—any _biological _relatives. That's when I read this article about a massacre in New Orleans by a Sean O'Connell. Did some digging and found out that my birth mother's maiden name was O'Connell. Connected family trees and…well, _here _I am," she said, gesturing around the church before finally looking over at Klaus. "I came just in time for the funeral."

Klaus looked away from her, exhaling largely. "The world is a rather awful place. Best demitted on its own terms."

Zoey scoffed, earning Klaus to bring his attention back to her. "You don't _really _believe that, do you?" she asked, surprised. When Klaus said nothing's he continued. "The world _isn't _awful, Klaus. Sure, things sometimes grow into awful things, but that's of mankind's own doing." She turned her head to face Davina and Tim as Tim played his instrument skillfully. "No, the _world _isn't an awful place. The people are. And, even then, not everyone is born evil. Something…_someone _makes them that way."

"And do you believe that your cousin was as ill as they say he was?" Klaus interrogated.

"I believe in a lot of things," Zoey admitted, tilting her head with a scoff. "But…from what Cami tells me…no. I don't believe that he just decided to go on a random murder spree. I _am _supernatural, I know what we're capable of. And I have my own suspicions about what happened to Sean."

"And are you willing to act on them?" Klaus asked, earning her attention. "Are you willing to sacrifice yourself to find out the truth?"

Zoey took a second to answer. "Yes," she said sternly, nodding her head. "I am." She turned her head again after speaking to him. "I know it may seem…_petty _or martyr-y of me, but I never even got to _meet _Sean. Plus, I wouldn't be doing it for me, I'd be doing it for Cami. She deserves to move on, and if that means I have to kill to do it, I will."

"For Cami," Klaus commented. "Not _with _Cami." His statement was more like a question, and she knew exactly what he was asking. As much as she wanted a friend in all of this who could listen to her, she needed to keep Cami out of it. This war was not a place for a human.

"For Cami," she agreed, nodding. "She can't get wrapped into this. I won't let her. She's the only family I have."

Klaus braced himself to say something, but before the conversation could continue, the human stopped playing his fiddle, the song coming to an end. Zoey sighed. "All right, what now?"

"Go enjoy the festival," Klaus said, giving her a small smile. Zoey looked at him, alarmed.

"Don't push me out of the plan, Klaus—"

"We can't have Davina knowing you're my ally," Klaus interrupted her, giving the hybrid a legitimate excuse to leave. "So go back out to Dauphine Street and catch up with your cousin. Enjoy the festival. I'll talk to you afterwards," he promised.

Zoey looked at him for a moment, but eventually sighed, doing what she was told with slight annoyance. Klaus watched as she left, and then he knew it was time to begin with his more extreme plans.

"You two are _absolutely _adorable!" Klaus boomed as he walked up to Davina and Tim, ruining the moment between them. "Warms my heart, it really does, but I do need a word with the young lady, so, Tim…" Klaus clamped a hand down on Tim's shoulder and looked him square in the eye. "Go. Sit down. Count to one hundred thousand." Obliging to the compulsion, Tim wandered off in another direction. "Quietly, now, there's a good boy."

Klaus turned to face Davina square in the eye. "I assume you know who I am." Davina's facial expression said it all. "Then let's get right to it, shall we?" He turned around and walked up to the church's alter and turned around. "Your current dilemma strikes me as a case of poor alliances. You're loyal to Marcel, and yet he keeps you tucked away in an attic. Surely, you'd prefer just a _little _bit more freedom." Klaus sighed. "And, yet, Marcel keeps you prisoner."

"Marcel doesn't keep me prisoner, he keeps me safe," Davina countered. "He's my friend."

"Well, I have no doubt that he is," Klaus agreed, moving so that he could squat down and face Davina's level. "But for a girl caught in a war between the witches and the vampires, I might be a better friend," he enticed. "I would keep you safe. And I'd allow you your freedom."

Klaus straightened and brushed past Davina. "_If _Marcel could do that, why hasn't he done so already. And," Klaus spun around, his hands up in the air, "it does beg the question—if Marcel can't protect you, then what of those you care about?" The hybrid gestured towards Tim in the pew.

"If _anyone _tries to hurt anyone I care about, I'll kill them," Davina snarled.

"Well, then. Sounds like you don't need Marcel at all. Perhaps you've suspected it all along. Your dear friend, Marcel, tricks you into doing his bidding." Klaus inched forward towards Davina. "And all the while you rot in an attic, alone. While young Timothy moves on with his life."

Davina stepped closer, and through her teeth, spoke. "You feel that?" Klaus slumped over, his skin glistening. "That's your _blood _starting to boil."

Klaus blinked rapidly and touched his head while Davina concentrated on him, but it was just a show. With a hint of a smile, Klaus flitted over to Tim and grabbed the human by the throat, a showcase to Davina of how powerless she was against him. "Such a shame to lose him just as you found him again. And I _really _did admire your skill with that violin."

"Don't you dare hurt him!"

"Ah, I hope I won't have to sweetheart. But that depends on you." Klaus let the veins appear under his eyes and the pupils of a werewolf emerged, all while Davina held her stance against the hybrid.

"Let him go, _now_!" she demanded.

"You should know, I don't do well with demands," Klaus snarled, but Davina held out her hand and Klaus let out a cry, one knee dropping to the floor. But Klaus, with a grunt, pulled himself up and fixed his wound.

"Impressive," Klaus growled through his teeth, still holding Tim. "But you don't want to fight me, love. Innocent people have a way of winding up dead."

"Please," Tim pleaded while in the headlock Klaus kept on him. "Let me go."

"Your choice little witch!" Klaus ignored Tim. "Swear allegiance to me alone and the boy lives." The candles in the room rose higher as Davina began to get angry. "Stand _against _me…"

But he didn't get to finish. Wind emerged inside of the church, making the candles sway violently and pieces of paper move from their places. But, then, Davina let out a shriek, thrust her hands towards Klaus's direction, and the glass in the windows shattered—leaving the debris to collect on the floor separating Davina and Klaus.

* * *

Cami and Zoey both walked the streets of the festival, with music surrounding their every turn and people moving their way through the streets of the city. It was only when Zoey received a phone call that she excused herself from her cousin and took it, covering up one ear so she could hear the person on the other side.

"Hello?" Zoey greeted in the phone.

"_Hayley's gone_," Rebekah breathed into the line. _"Klaus told me to call you. He seems to be delayed." _

Zoey sighed. "Do you know what happened?"

"_A bunch of bloody witches and warlocks tried to attack Hayley and the baby, killed me, and now she's missing and they're all dead," _Rebekah explained.

Zoey nodded. "Okay, wow. Um, I'll leave now. Where are you?"

"_The bayou. I'll text you the directions,_" the Original promised before hanging up the phone. When she was off the line, Zoey jogged over to her cousin.

"Hey, is everything okay?" Cami asked Zoey as the hybrid approached the human.

"Yeah," Zoey lied. "But…I've got to take off. You should find Marcel or something and spend the rest of the evening with him. I'll see you tomorrow."

"But—" Before Cami could get her protests out of her mouth, Zoey was lost in the crowd.

* * *

Zoey and Rebekah waited for Klaus in the bayou clinic, still trying to figure out where Hayley went. Of course, they assumed the worst of the situation—which was that Hayley was either killed or taken by the witches and warlocks that tried to have her killed. Finally, Klaus showed up, earning a bit of sarcasm from Rebekah, naturally.

"Well!" she exclaimed sardonically. "You abandoned your quest for power to help out your family. Having an off day?"

"Who took her, Rebekah?"

"I don't know," answered the blonde.

Klaus walked forward. "What do you _mean _you don't know? Then who killed her attackers?"

"I don't know, I had an _arrow _in my heart," Rebekah snarled. "If it wasn't Hayley who killed them then—"

Just when Rebekah was saying the words, a wolf howled loudly, the signal of a wolf. "A wolf," Zoey said, thinking over the bodies that Rebekah had shown her in the forest. "Right…that would make sense, I guess. But…why?"

"Who knows?" Rebekah shrugged. "But perhaps her cousins will know where she is." And Rebekah brushed past Klaus without a second thought, and Zoey followed Rebekah immediately after. Klaus followed the both of them outside, slightly annoyed at Rebekah's distancing efforts. The three of them brushed open the door of the clinic, only to find Hayley stumbling to them in the moonlight.

"Hayley," Klaus said, moving past Rebekah and Zoey to meet up with the wolf. "What happened? Tell me what happened."

Hayley hesitated. "I…can't remember."

Klaus put a hand on the pregnant wolf's arm and examined her body. "You've completely healed. There's not a scratch on you."

"One of the perks of being a werewolf, remember?"

"No," Klaus countered, shaking his head. "Not that fast—"

"Leave her alone," Rebekah snapped, taking Hayley from Klaus's hold. "It's the baby," she theorized, guiding Hayley to sit down on the steps of the clinic. "The vampire blood…Klaus's blood in your system…can heal any wound. Your own child healed you."

"Do you have any idea why they would want you dead?" Zoey asked the werewolf softly, stepping down from the porch to sit by her. "I mean...is it the baby?" She looked up at Klaus. "Do they want the baby dead?"

"Why would the witches want my baby dead?" Hayley asked, confused. "Sophie and I are linked to each other…this baby is the whole reason I'm _here_."

"How did you escape?" Rebekah inquired. "You were outnumbered…unarmed. Those men were ripped to shreds."

"I think it was the wolf," Hayley admitted, looking up at Klaus. "I think it's trying to protect me."

"The _witches _were supposed to protect you," Klaus growled. "When I get my hands on Sophie Deveraux—"

"It wasn't Sophie," Hayley cut him off abruptly. "It was Agnes."

"Fine!" Klaus exclaimed. "Agnes…Sophie…it's all the same to me, I'll slaughter the lot of them."

"Not if Elijah gets there first," Rebekah countered, earning Hayley's attention.

"Elijah?" she asked, surprised. "Did you find him?"

"He's been in touch," answered Rebekah. "And he has a plan. All he asks is that we take care of you." Hayley smiled at the words, and silence filled the air until the pregnant wolf spoke again.

"Hey, so…can we go home now?" she asked the people around her. "I'd really like to sleep for a few days." Hayley stood up, as did Rebekah and Zoey beside her, but Hayley stumbled on her own feet from a head rush. Zoey caught the wolf from falling completely, and by that time, Klaus had already made his way over to Hayley and picked her up from Zoey's stable hands.

"I've got you, love," Klaus assured the wolf in his arms. "I've got you."

And the four of them left the bayou.

* * *

Cami walked in front of her bedroom mirror, taking off her necklace to get ready for bed, but that's when she saw a figure in the mirror. At first, she was alarmed, but then she saw Klaus's stature was the one that was standing at the open patio that was in her bedroom.

"Klaus," Cami said, surprised to see him so late. She turned around to face him. "What are you doing here?"

"I've had quite a night," he told her as she walked forward. "I recall you mentioned something about nightmares and insomnia. I believe I can help. May I come in?"

Cami laughed. "This is super weird. Come in," she invited, turning around as Klaus walked into her bedroom. When he stepped inside, Cami turned around to face him. "Wait. That's right. I told you what happened. I never tell anybody, but I told you." Klaus stayed quiet as Cami came to a revelation before him. "And you said something about Sean standing alone against his demons. When he killed those men, I thought he must be mentally ill, but…what if it was demons? What if a _vampire _compelled him?"

"Maybe a vampire did," Klaus admitted, nodding his head as he stepped closer. "But this isn't worth losing your mind over, Cami, trust me."

"What are you doing?" she asked him, her voice soft. Klaus said nothing, he just stepped closer. "Klaus, are you…?" But Cami suddenly realized what he was doing. "No," she gasped. "No, _don't. _Don't take this away, Klaus, don't—"

Klaus reached forward and gripped her shoulders, beginning his compulsion. "You will do nothing," he said, his voice dull. "Your brother was ill, he killed those people and himself. And it _was _a tragedy. All you can do is move on." Klaus paused for a moment before continuing. "And I want you to make sure that your cousin does nothing, either. You will tell her that you want to move on and that she should, as well. The both of you will be at peace, and you needn't worry. I will find out what happened, and when I do, I will make sure whoever harmed your brother—her cousin—will suffer," he promised the human, though he knew she would not remember any of it. "And, as for you," he started, smiling in the slightest. "Tonight, you will sleep. And you will dream of a world _far _better than this one. A world where there is _no _evil. No demons. Tell me that you understand."

Cami nodded bleakly. "I understand," she told him, her voice monotone. Klaus nodded at her, and while she closed her eyes, he left, the only trace of him the wind that blew through the open doors he arrived in.

* * *

She didn't know why she'd come back to Rousseau's, but she had. She didn't need to be here, she was off for the rest of the night. But this job was her lifestyle, it was everything she'd ever wanted out of life. She'd made that decision a long time ago, and she enjoyed it.

She had spent a while cleaning the tables from the ruckus of the Dauphine festival, but eventually, when she finished, she began to pour herself a drink. _This _was good. Giving a drink _and _accepting it.

Zoey walked out from behind the bar into the empty space of the deserted restaurant after hours and found herself enjoying this moment of solitude she had. It seemed like these moments would be very limited from now on. She had to cherish them.

But when she heard the sound of the front door ringing, it brought her out of her solitude. Klaus was standing at the door, watching as she turned around and looked at him. Zoey sighed. "Klaus," she said, slightly disappointed.

Klaus smiled. "Well, you seem very happy to see me, love," he teased.

She drank her beverage before speaking. "It's not that I'm _not _happy to see you, I just…" How did she put this? Zoey drank a sip of the alcohol again before continuing. "I was enjoying the silence for once."

"Ah, yes." Klaus stepped closer to her. "Silence, it's nice, isn't it? Something I wish would come naturally out of your mouth." He smiled.

But she didn't take it so lightly. "Did you really just come here to insult me?" she asked, incredulous. Klaus said nothing. "Wow. _Okay. _Well, _your _rude ass can make sure not to have it get hit on the way out the door." Zoey gave him a tart smile before turning to walk in the other direction, but Klaus's hand caught her arm halfway through her turn, forcing her back. "What the hell are you doing?"

"_God _you irritate me," Klaus said huskily under his breath, which only earned a look of confusion from his hybrid. But, somehow, in the next moment, Zoey heard a crash, and realized that it was her own glass that Klaus had knocked out of her hand when he pulled her up onto his body and forced his lips onto hers. She had no idea what she was doing—none at all, in fact, but she kissed him back with no objection at all. Rather, she tightened her body's grip on him and kissed him deeper, her hands fisting his soft hair as his moved along the curves of her body that he knew well.

It was a few moments later when she'd found herself sitting on top of the bar, Klaus standing between her legs as he removed his lips from hers and trailed down her neck, his fangs poking out and brushing against her skin. Through the blur of her vision, she saw three chairs that had fallen down, but she absolutely couldn't give a shit less than she did right then and there. With a moan, she pulled him back to her lips and kissed him again, feeling his hands stroke the skin of her inner thigh.

And then she was completely lying on the bar counter, and Klaus's weight was on top of her. But, since she was part vampire, his weight didn't crush her, and she sustained it with pleasure as he bent down and crashed his lips onto hers again through the involuntary moans that escaped the both of their mouths. It was only when Klaus pulled away that she realized.

It wasn't Klaus anymore.

"Marcel?" Zoey whispered, confused beyond doubt. Marcel's signature smug smile spread across his face and he bent down to kiss her again, despite her confusion. Through the midst of it all, Zoey found herself kissing him back, although fully aware that it was Marcel she was kissing. With her vampire speed, she flipped them over so that she was on top, and Marcel was underneath of her just as she pulled their lips back together as one.

And then Zoey jolted awake in her own bed, drenched in cold sweats from the dream that she had generated all by herself.

"Oh, shit," she cursed under her breath, running a hand through her hair and realizing that she'd just had a _terrible _dream about two men that she _thought _she hated.

* * *

**Well, well, well. That should cause a problem, shouldn't it? Anyways, I hope you liked it! Please tell me what you think in a ****review!**

_**Love, **_

_**BellaSalvatore1918**_

_**X**_


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